Losing Rose
by Rose Hathaway.007
Summary: After Spirit Bound but the Queen doesn't die . In a strigoi attack Dimitri dies and is brought back  to life by Adrian . With Adrian and Rose getting hot and heavy and Dimitri getting pulled in every time, will Dimitri be able to cope up with losing Rose?
1. Chapter 1

Rose and her friends are attending Lehigh University . This occurs after Spirit Bound but the Queen is not murdered . Dimitri told Rose that he does not love her any more which left her heart broken , only to be mended by Adrian . But after a few months of turning back , will Dimitri be able to love Rose again ? Will he regret what he had told her ? But Rose happily moving on with Adrian has created complications . What happens when in a strigoi attack Dimitri dies , only to be brought back by Adrian . With Adrian getting hot and heavy with Rose , and Dimitri getting pulled in every time will he be able to cope up with losing Rose ?

Disclaimer : I do not own Vampire Academy .

" Strigoi" was what I heard as I turned to look at Rose who was clutching her stomach with fear in her eyes …

But before I tell you what happened next , let me tell you what happened before this life changing night .

It was Lissa and Christian's first term in Lehigh University and as her guardian Rose also went to the same college . To my dismay Adrian had also tagged along to finish college as he had dropped out before .

And as for me , I had now been declared fully Dhampir again and that I was no longer a Strigoi . I had also been appointed as Christian's guardian as Tasha had insisted that Christian should have at least one guardian with him while he was in college . Why was I chosen ? Because frankly speaking , no one wanted me as their guardian . I mean , though I was officially declared a Dhampir again but that doesn't mean that everyone had accepted that fact . Especially the royals , and since they were the only ones who actually got guardians assigned to them , it was highly unlikely that I would ever get a real assignment .

That is why I was glad that Tasha pulled some strings and got me assigned to Christian as his guardian . They were royal Moroi after all .

Rose was now with Adrian and it killed me everyday to see them together . My heart wrenched in pain every time I see Adrian with his hands around Rose's shoulders . Every time I saw this, I would be on the verge of losing my self – control and smashing Ivashkov's pretty royal face . But deep , down I knew all this was my fault .

It has now been a few months since Lissa had turned me back to a dhampir . I still remember that day like it was only yesterday . Lissa was plunging the charmed stake into my chest again and again trying to get it through my heart . The fire , that Christian was controlling was burning all around me , trapping me . I was screaming in pain , the pain I felt from the stake near my heart and the fire . Then suddenly , there was a blinding white light ., and like a movie in front of my eyes , I saw the face of every innocent person I had killed . I saw the fear in their eyes , some of them begging me to let them go . I saw the life evaporate from them as I drank their blood to sustain myself .

But above all , I saw Roza . The fear and shock written all over her face when she saw me as a strigoi for the first time , the blissful haze in her eyes after I had drunk her blood and the pain and determination I saw in her when she had staked me on the bridge .

I knew now that she had been right . That I did not deserve to live at all , after what I had done in the months of being a strigoi . That is why I burst out crying . I felt my knees give way and I held onto the first person I saw in front of me , Lissa . She looked like an angel then , the one who had rescued my soul , she was my saviour . I cried my heart out , even when I heard people screaming and lifting me up . Lissa was trying her best to stop them from arresting me , but to no avail .

As I let them lead me to my cell in the Court prison , I saw Rose and I felt a rush of guilt flood through me . She was screaming and telling the guardians not to arrest me as I was no longer a Strigoi . She looked as if she was on the verge of breaking down into tears but she was much stronger than that , she was a fighter , a survivor . She could have given into my offer and could have become a strigoi , which was definitely the easy way out . But no , she had fought her way out of her mansion – prison and had probably also found a way to save me .

Throughout the next few days , she had constantly tried to talk to me , but I had blatantly ignored her . It was too much for me to take , simply because of what I had done to her . It was horrible , simply horrible . She even claimed to have forgiven me , but the question was … Had I forgiven myself ? Could I forgive myself ?

These questions were what I was thinking about at Church one day . It was the day I made the biggest mistake of my life . In the heat of our argument , I had told Rose that my love for her had faded and that I couldn't love anyone anymore .

At that time I had thought it was true , that my heart was void of any positive emotions . But I know better now .

Throughout the next few months , after certain acts of kindness , friendship and loyalty towards me , I had begun to realise that these feelings had always been present in my heart but had only been locked away from me . But they eventually started unravelling themselves and I well … began to feel like myself again .

With all the other emotions and feelings , came love too , my love towards Rose , my Roza . But the damage of my words had already been caused , and it had caused Rose to go running into Adrian's arms for comfort . She had always been there for me , even when I was a monster , but I had cut her loose when she needed me most . My harsh words had broken her heart , something which couldn't be broken even when I had drunk her blood almost everyday .

Even with Adrian's bad " reputation" , I know that he isn't bad at heart . I can clearly see the love he has for Rose , and his eternal eagerness to help her through it all . This never failed to bring a bout of jealousy within me , because Adrian had been there for her when I had turned her away .

Rose seemed pretty happy with Adrian , and one day she had clearly told me that she had moved on . Those two , simple words had shattered my recovering heart into millions of pieces . I could see the pain in her eyes as she had told me those words , and I guess that is what makes me want to go on . I am still living in the hope that maybe Roza still harbours those feelings for me. But seeing her happy with Adrian , makes me think that maybe , just maybe he might be better for her than I would ever be . It was after all true that Adrian Ivashkov can _definitely _give her things that I will never be able to , which includes children .

I had made a hasty and stupid decision long ago , and I am suffering its consequences every single day . And if Rose has chosen Adrian , very well then . I just want her to be happy even though it means that I will never be able to forgive myself for what I said to her .

That brings me back to tonight . It was a Saturday night and the group had come to this bar which was located at a little distance from their college . There were six of us – Lissa , Christian , Adrian , Rose , me and Amy who was Adrian's guardian .

We were waiting on the sidewalk near the bar , for Amy to bring our car . That was when I heard Rose say … Strigoi . That one word was enough to make reach for my stake and begin checking the area . In my peripheral vision , I could see that Rose had done the same .

We were near the alley way next to the bar , which was quite dark but my trained dhampir eyes immediately began looking around for threats . But before I could register my surroundings properly , I felt being pushed into the nearby wall by a Strigoi . But my battle reflexes kicked in and I was able to push him off . After hardly a few moments of fighting with this particular one , I was easily able to stake him and look around for more of his kind .

I was filled with horror at what I saw . Rose was surrounded by atleast five Strigoi and was definitely having a hard time with them . Even though she managed to get a few good hits on them, they hardly seemed to flinch . These strigoi must have been very old , maybe even hundreds of years old , that only them harder to kill . As Rose was trying to fight them off and lure them away from the Moroi , some of the strigoi were set ablaze . I was thankful to Christian for having the presence of mind to do this .

Well , without wasting any time , I jumped into the heat of the battle . I staked one burning strigoi to finish him off and made my way to the next one . But Christian was only able to light two of those strigoi , and it was not for long either . Maybe it was because he had been drinking so much that night . As I let out a string of curses in Russian , I moved onto the next strigoi . We had already staked the two which were on fire and counting the ones which I had staked , there were two strigoi left standing as Rose had staked a really old one earlier . I wanted to yell at Christian to set those two on fire , but I then noticed that he had already passed out on the pavement .

Left without a choice , Rose and I separated the two strigoi and began to fight one – one with them . I kicked this guy with as much as I was worth in his gut . This deterred him for only a moment and was soon back in form and was aiming a punch to my head . Damn these stupid , old strigoi . I was able to move a millisecond before the punch hit my head and I fought back too .

This went on only for some time , and throughout our fight , the strigoi kept his chest angled in a way that made it very difficult for my stake to reach his heart , let alone pierce it . As I was about to punch him again , I heard a very shrill voice scream into the night .

" Roseeeeeeeee" , I dentified this voice to be Lissa's and turned to see Rose pushed up against the wall and held by the strigoi who was moving his head closer to her neck . He was going to turn her . He was going to turn Roza into a monster like him . This made me feel sick , I couldn't let what had happened to me happen her too . No , I had to do something . I could see Rose struggling to break free but in vain . That was when I tried to run to her and in that fraction of a second so many things happened . Things that would change my life forever .

As I tried to run to her aid , completely abandoning the strigoi I was fighting , he grabbed this opportunity to grab hold of me and throw me against a wall nearby . My head hit the wall very hard and I saw that my strigoi had made his way to Rose already considering that I was incapable of fighting further or maybe even dead .

As I fought to remain conscious , trying to keep a hold on life , I saw a blinding light and soon after , I saw something big , maybe a car , crash into the two strigoi and pushing them into a wall. I could not make out what happened after that , but a few minutes later , I heard wailing and I saw the most beautiful face that I had ever seen . Even though I was losing consciousness very fast and was hardly able to make out anything that was happening around me , somehow I could see her face , streaked with tears and she was probably saying something to me , which I was too weak to understand .

In those last moments , I could actually feel my life leaving me and darkness was beginning to haze my vision . And all I could do then , was just stare at the most beautiful face in the world , the face of my Roza . I looked at her and tried to give her a smile , maybe even a ghost of a smile , but I must have failed terribly . In those last moments , looking at her I knew I would die a happy man . And that was when the darkness totally engulfed me .

Like it ? Hate it ? Please tell me whether I should continue this story . I would love to hear what you guys have to say . This is my first Fan fiction , so I would love to know what you think . :D :D . But please don't be rude .


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for your lovely reviews . Your reviews definitely made my day . I am so glad to know that you all want to read my story and I hope I don't disappoint you . :D :D . Thank you again and I will not keep you waiting further . Here is your next chapter .**

**Adrian's POV**

I had heard many gallant tales of strigoi attacks and how guardians laid their lives for the Moroi , about how they literally danced with their deaths . But I had never been in an actual strigoi attack before , atleast not in such close quarters .

I mean , yes , I had been there at St . Vladimir's Academy when it was attacked , but I didn't see the actual fight because I was inside the guest housing , which was under lock – down the whole time . It was only after the attack that I had seen the scale of destruction that the it had left in its wake . Bodies . Bodies lying everywhere the eye could see . There were strigoi , Moroi and dhampir bodies as well , all lying on the ground . I had been shocked at what I had seen then . But that was nothing compared to what I would be seeing tonight .

As soon as the first strigoi jumped in on Dimitri , both Rose and Dimitri were in action . You could actually see it in their eyes , the determination , the instinct to keep Moroi safe at all costs . I really had never seen anything like this .

Yet it all passed in a haze , as if everything had happened in a matter of minutes . Probably , it all _had _happened in a matter of minutes , but it was impossible for me to tell . At some point , I even thought that this was all a night mare , a horrible nightmare . And that I would just wake up in bed and everything would be alright . I felt so helpless , simply standing there watching them get outnumbered . I wanted to help so badly , I wanted to help Rose . I didn't want her to get hurt , I never would .

By this time , I just wanted to be of some help , even if it were for the smallest of things. I actually envied Christian now , because he could burn those damned strigoi off anytime he liked while I was stuck with stupid Spirit . I mean , how could dream walking and healing be of any help when there were blood – thirsty strigoi coming after you .

I was brought back to reality when I felt something fall on my shoulders . I turned around to look at Christian , who had apparently passed out after using so much of his magic . But I had a feeling that he could have lasted much longer if he hadn't been drinking so much at the bar . I silently swore to myself to stop drinking henceforth , even though I knew I would never be useful in a fight .

I lay him down onto the pavement , with Lissa trying her best to heal him a little , so that he could join back into the fight again , but in vain . Spirit only heals physical injuries or illnesses and maybe even mental , but Christian was weak because of over use of his own magic , which was technically not physical , so Lissa couldn't heal him either . Really , is there no use of Spirit in a battle ? Is there _anything _useful that Spirit has to offer ?

I turned my gaze towards the fight that had unravelled before of me . But to my relief Rose and Dimitri had brought down the strigoi numbers and were now left with only two . After a few minutes of dodging and kicking on their part , Rose received a nasty blow to her stomach and faltered slightly . This was the opportunity the strigoi had been waiting for . He pushed her into the wall and began lowering his fangs to her neck . I couldn't believe what I was seeing . No , she could not be turned into one of them . But what could I do ? I was simply a stupid , Spirit – wielding Moroi , who couldn't even take care of himself .

I was broken out of my trance and mental ramblings by Lissa shrieking Rose's name. This must also have caught Dimitri's attention , who almost instantly left his own strigoi and began running towards Rose . His efforts didn't last very long as he himself was pushed into the wall , by the strigoi he was fighting . Before I could even look at him , the two strigoi were hovering over Rose . I had never been so frightened in my life . Not only was I scared for myself , I was afraid for everyone else around me too . Everyone one of us was going to die tonight or even worse , become a strigoi.

It was strange that I hadn't started crying already , Lissa had been wailing for as long as I could remember . I definitely felt like crying , but maybe I was too shocked , too stunned from what was happening in front of me . My brain could hardly function properly by this time . Maybe my brain was too paralysed for it to function at all . And adding , to the shock was a very bright light , that seemed to be coming from a car . Before I could process any of this information , the car rammed into the two strigoi and knocked them into the wall nearby .

Then someone from the car , maybe the driver got out and went to stake the strigoi who were trying to free themselves from their position between the car and the wall . They wouldn't have taken a long time though to push the car away with their combined forces , but I think it was the element of surprise that worked in favour of whoever was driving the car .

Rose however , had emerged from her compromising position and was already sprinting towards the strigoi to take care of them . It was then , that I realised what had just happened . I could faintly make out that it was Amy , my guardian who had been driving the car and had arrived at the nick of time to save us from our untimely demise .

After they had finished off the strigoi , Rose looked around the place and her eyes fell on something , no , someone lying there against the wall . Dimitri , yes of course , I had absolutely forgotten about him amidst the battle . Both of them ran towards him and suddenly , as if by impulse , I found the strength in my petrified legs to walk again .

As I slowly made my way towards the others , afraid of what I might see . I could hear Rose crying and screaming at Dimitri to come back to her . I could see her bending over his weak , broken body , trying to keep him from closing his eyes on her.

When at last I reached them , I was horrified at the sight before me . In all the time I had known this man , I had always thought of him as the strong man he really was , but seeing him in this state was rattling to my mind . He was bleeding all over . I couldn't even make out where he was bleeding from . But one thing was for sure , he had very less chances of survival .

Rose didn't even notice me approach them . As I looked at Dimitri's face , I felt something weird , something warm build up in me . I didn't know what it was , but somehow , it felt right . I felt like I _had _to do something , like I had to reach out .

I may not have been very fond of this man , but I sure did respect him and after all , he _had _fought those strigoi , without once fearing for his own life . But before I could reach my hand out and touch him , his lips pulled up in what looked like a faint smile, maybe one last smile , and then he slowly closed his eyes , not once looking away from Rose .

But my hand touched his skin almost as soon as his eyes had closed , and with that slight touch I could feel Spirit raise itself from the depths of my being and flow through my hand into Dimitri's body .

At first it felt like a rush of heat and then cold from my body into his . It felt like all the good things in the world were now at my fingertips . I had no worries in the world and as if all I _could _do was focus all my energy into my hand . And that is exactly what I did .

After what felt like an eternity , I could feel the final remnants of Spirit's exhilaration leave my body . Dimitri finally budged a little and I felt my hand falling to my side . Then confusion engulfed me . What had I done ? Did I just do what I thought I had done ? That couldn't be possible . I had hardly moved from healing minor scratches with Lissa to healing some deeper injuries , surely I could not have brought a dead man back to life . This was not happening .

But after all , I had seen Dimitri die in front of my eyes and now his eyes are wide open , portraying the exact same emotions that I was feeling . Confusion . Disbelief . And more confusion . I turned to my side just in time to see Rose pounce on me , while screaming how grateful she was for what I had done . But what had I done ? Rose seemed to be absorbing this information very well , atleast better than how Dimitri and I were taking it . I just couldn't wrap my head around what had just happened . And from the looks of it , nor could Dimitri .

But Rose was overjoyed and gave both of us another quick hug and went back to business mode quicker than I thought it was ever possible . She looked at a very stunned Amy and instructed her to do something , but I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to process anything right now .

Was any of this true ? Had I really been able to use Spirit to that extent ? These questions were reeling around my mind , as I knelt there on the ground . But the question that struck me the most was …. Was I really bonded to Dimitri Belikov ?

Inside me , I could feel myself growing weaker and weaker , as the moments flew by. I didn't know how long I could stay conscious . And with one last glance at Rose , I collapsed onto the ground , and into the darkness , as I felt the last ounce of physical strength melt away from me .

**Did you like it ? Please let me know . I always love to hear what you guys think . Please review . :D :D .**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you again for your reviews and for sticking with the story . :D :D . I don't want to keep you guys waiting . Here is your next chapter . I hope you like it . **

Dimitri's POV

" It's not that hard you know . I don't know how to explain it to you , but ….. I guess, all you have to do is let go of yourself ," said Rose , while trying really hard to find words to express herself .

" Going into your bondmate's mind is like extending your bond from just feeling their emotions to literally seeing the world through their eyes . When I try to go into

Lissa's mind , I try to leave myself behind and open up to her . I mean , you need to concentrate a lot , only on Adrian ." she paused and looked at me .

" Were you even listening Dimitri ?" she asked , annoyance lacing her words .

" I can't do all this . Its next to impossible . I mean , I can hardly differentiate my own emotions from his yet , and you are telling me how to go inside his head ," I was very frustrated at this point . This shadow – kissed thing was really getting on my nerves . That is why I continued my ranting .

" When I feel hunger I can't even tell whether it is Adrian who is hungry or if it is my own stomach growling . This is all pointless , I can't take this any more ." I yelled at her . By this time , I had started to sound like a teenager throwing tantrums about anything and everything . Who knows , maybe I even felt like one .

But to my surprise , Rose was the picture was calmness . I had half expected her to begin shouting at me too , but she did the exact opposite . She actually waited for me to stop , and once I flopped down onto the couch , she tried to calm me down further . She sat down on the couch next to me , rubbing my hand soothingly . That mere touch made electricity crackle between us. The warmth of her touch was overwhelming . It was very hard to ignore and Rose did a very good job at it , but I knew she had felt it too .

" I know its hard at first , and I guess I _am _rushing into this a bit . But I think that the faster all this sinks into you , the easier it will be for you to get used to being shadow– kissed ." She paused for a while , thinking and then continued .

" I never thought that I would live to see you lose control over your temper this easily Comrade . And here , _I_ always took pride in being the hot – headed one . I really need to tell Adrian to stop using Spirit for a while . I mean , I can't let you snatch my title away from me can I ? " she chuckled at this thought . I laughed along with her , because when you come to think of it , what she said was actually true . I guess death hadn't left a mark only on my aura .

Rose never failed to bring peace to my heart , even in my darkest hours . The slightest of her gestures , even if it was something as trivial as calling me ' Comrade' , would make my world a better place , even though it was only for a short time . Many things had changed since the night I had " died" , and among other things , my perspective towards life had changed .

While I was a student at St . Basil's Academy , I had accepted the fact that I would probably have to spend the rest of my life all alone , always staying vigilant to protect the Moroi . " They come first" , the age – old guardian mantra had been engraved into my mind and I had taken it as the ultimate truth in my life . Even after graduating , I had held onto this belief and had protected those in need . But that was until I had met Rose .

She was like a breath of fresh air in my silent , almost stoic world . After Ivan's death , I had completely dedicated myself to my duty , successfully distancing myself from any form of relationship or even socialising . But seeing Roza everyday during our training sessions , I knew she was different .

Rose was almost everything that I had never been . She was spontaneous , out – going , and exuberant . Though her impulsive nature was not always considered ideal, yet in some situations, her impulsiveness had definitely helped her sail through .

But what I admired about her the most was what I can only describe as a balance . She was always so protective of her best friend and soon – to – be – charge , Lissa . She would always go out of the way to help those who cannot fight for themselves and most of all , she took her guardianship very seriously , maybe more seriously than most guardians would ever take . She was just like me in some ways , but yet so different .

I still remember , when Rose and Lissa had just begun to find out about Spirit and being shadow – kissed , they both had pinned Rose's personality to being an effect of the mark that death had left on her . They had claimed that , because Rose had died once and had been given a second chance , she wanted to cling onto life and enjoy whatever it had to offer . I had never actually given much thought to this , but now I knew how true these words were .

Now that I was shadow – kissed too , I felt like grabbing onto life and never letting it go . I wanted to enjoy as much as I could during the short time I had on this Earth , because really Death could be lurking just around the corner , waiting for me . I had never thought much about my death before , but whenever I had , I had always pictured myself dying in battle , protecting those I loved . But at that time , I could never have imagined what it would be like .

As painful as it had been , I could hardly remember anything that had happened while I had laid there , awaiting my doom . I didn't remember anything , nothing at all. My mind didn't seem to have registered anything that was happening around me at that time . They say that your life plays itself like a movie before your eyes , in the moments before you die . But strangely , nothing of that sort had happened . I didn't see my whole life before dying , I only saw the things that I love . I saw flashes of my family , the memories that I had of them , my mother , my sisters , all of them , standing in the house that I had spent my childhood in . But the last thing I saw was a face , a face that stood loud and clear before my eyes , the face of an angel , the face of my Roza .

At that moment , all I could feel was regret . Regret , that she would never know how much I loved her , that she would always go on believing the lie I had once told her , even though I myself had believed it at some point .

But now that I had been given a second chance , I would not take anything for granted . I mean , most people get only one shot at life , I had already been lucky in that department . But the question was ….. How ? Rose seemed quite happy nowadays with Adrian and seemed to be moving on pretty well . What if she really loved him ? I certainly didn't want to ruin it for her again by confessing my love for her , even though I would die inside . Even the mere thought of living my whole life without her brought an indescribable sadness and gloom to my mind .

And to top it all , I knew , deep down inside , that it had all been my fault . Why couldn't I have told her to give me some more time ? She would definitely have waited for me , wouldn't she? I was jerked out of my trail of thought by none other than Roza herself . She was looking at me with worry in her eyes .

" I think we should call it a night , what do you say ?" she said while getting up and moving towards the door .

" Get some sleep Comrade , you deserve it . I'll see you tomorrow , OK ?"

" Yeah ok . Yet one more day passes without any progress . I know its hard for you to explain all this , but I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate your help . I mean . I can't even imagine how you managed to figure out all this on your own ."

" You may not have progressed much today but you sure have achieved something . I mean , you have rendered Rose Hathaway speechless and left her groping for words trying to explain it to you today . Now _that_ is an achievement in itself . " she laughed .

I smiled feebly at her . By the looks of it , she had sensed something was wrong , but she must have decided to let it go because she didn't say anything and simply grabbed the door – knob and opened the door , which led to the corridor of the guardian housing at Court . We said our goodbyes and then she left me alone in my room , with only my thoughts to keep me company .

Ever since the guardian headquarters had heard about the strigoi attack near Lehigh University , they had insisted that the Last Dragomir and the Queen's favourite nephew be put behind the safety of the Court's wards . Lissa clearly had not been happy about this and had argued that the attack had not been inside the University which was already warded for their safety . But Hans Croft , head of the guardians at the Court , along with the Council had not budged from their decision and as a result , all of us had had to get on a private plane to the air strip at Court . But Lissa and Adrian were still trying to convince them to atleast let them go to college next semester . I didn't know how that would turn out but by the looks of it , there seemed to be the slightest use of compulsion in this matter .

Once we had arrived here , Rose had offered to help me out with my new "abilities". I had agreed almost instantly . I really was grateful towards her for doing this , plus this meant Rose and I could have some time together . It was like old times , back at the Academy , before our lives had gotten so complicated . I could finally be myself around her and so could she . We were friends , close friends who could read each other like an open book . I found myself looking forward to these " sessions" more and more everyday . I know I sound like a love struck teenager , but I want to start anew with Rose . I feel like I am falling in love all over again .

And as for Adrian , we both may not be best friends like Lissa and Rose but we were starting to get along quite well actually . As good as it will ever be with the jealousy I feel towards him and my earlier urge to smash his pretty face . I don't know what to feel anymore and through the bond I could feel that he doesn't really _love_ me in particular but was definitely trying to make amends because of the bond we now share . I feel guilty sometimes about this but I just can't shake off these feelings . As I already said earlier , I really don't know what to feel anymore . But I guess , we both have to make peace amongst ourselves , since none of us is going anywhere . Which brings me back to our bond . Having the bond is not really a bad thing , it _is_ annoying at times , but its not a very awful thing . It keeps me aware of Adrian's thoughts , feelings , emotions , almost everything . Not to mention , the bond would make me the perfect guardian , if I were ever to become Adrian's guardian . But being Adrian's bondmate just has one major problem …

**I wonder what the problem is ? Please tell me whether you liked the chapter . I absolutely love reading your reviews :D :D . **


	4. Chapter 4

**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all ! I am so sorry for not updating earlier . But I had got caught with preparations for the holiday season . I am very sorry . But here is your next chapter and I hope you all enjoy it . :D :D.**

My heart was beating erratically , so fast that I wouldn't have been surprised if it had exploded then and there . I was aware of the soft , yet hungry lips that were pressed up against mine . My strong sense of smell could pick up the faint scent of perfume , the mix of vanilla and something else , something I couldn't identify . Her hands touched my skin with so much passion , clearly conveying the message that she wanted to do a lot more than what we were doing right now .

After a while , I felt Rose tug at the buttons of my shirt , slowly trying to make her way through them all . But being as impatient as she was , I felt her clutch my shirt and literally rip it off me . Once she had successfully taken it off , she threw it over my shoulder , somewhere in the room . Given the intensity and aggressiveness with which she had grabbed hold of my shirt , I think I should have seen this coming , but that did little to stop me from what I said next .

" Hey , I liked that shirt ." I teased .

" Yeah , but you like me more , don't you ? So I guess you have to live with it . I don't see that you have another choice anyways ." she replied , her voice heavy with sarcasm and edginess .

" So you can stop cribbing unless you want to spend the rest of the night wearing your precious shirt ."

I chuckled at that remark . I knew that she wouldn't do anything of that sort because she wanted this just as much as I did . Yet one could never be too sure about what Rose would do next . She was just _that _unpredictable .

By this time , I had already made short work of her shirt , and I was already working my way through the other articles of her clothing . I could feel her fumble with my belt as she tried to take it off . She let out a groan in frustration when it took her some time to figure out how to do it without separating our needy lips . But her hands soon returned to exploring every part of my body once she had succeeded .

She seemed to leave a trail of fire everywhere her bare skin made contact with mine. It seemed like my body had a mind of its own , which reciprocated her passion and lust in equal amounts , if not more . As our hands roamed all over our bodies , both of us became incapable of forming words , so we resorted to the frequent moaning and maybe sometimes , murmuring .

When we both became out of breath , I lowered my head to her neck and began nibbling at a sensitive spot of hers , that I knew existed there .

" Mmmmm ." Rose moaned into my hair , as she tightened her grip on my back , digging her nails into my skin .

I smiled to myself against her skin , happy that I had been rewarded with her moaning and pulled back slightly to look at her . Lust and desire clouded her eyes as the muscles of her beautiful face pulled up into a seductive smile that only turned me on further , if that was even possible . We simply stared at each other for a few moments , but it felt like an eternity , an eternity in which I could happily spend my whole life .

After the innumerable times she had turned me down , it was very difficult for me to believe that I was actually here with her tonight , that she was here in my arms tonight with her hands wrapped around my neck . I had loved her since the first time we had met , but this was really unbelievable . Maybe it was a dream , a very beautiful dream. One which I wouldn't want to wake up from .

" See something you like ?" she asked in her naturally sexy voice , flashing me her trademark Hathaway grin . Something about her smile made me believe that this was the reality and not within the realms of my dreams .

" No , Rose . I see something I love ." was all I was capable of saying before I crushed my lips upon hers again .

She responded almost immediately , eagerly beginning the invigorating dance that our tongues performed , all over again . After a while , I slowly began moving lower and lower over her gorgeous body , leaving open – mouthed kisses everywhere my lips came in contact with her bare skin .

I kissed her neck , her collar bone , pausing there while I nibbled on her supple skin . I moved lower and lower until I reached her stomach and continued my journey further . Distantly , I could hear her expressing her pleasure quite noisily .

As I kissed a very sensitive spot on her stomach , I was rewarded by a particularly loud groan on her part .

" Ohh ….. Adrian ….." .

Wait . What ?

Adrian ? Where the hell did he come from ? Wasn't I just in bed with Roza ? Then how come she is calling out Adrian's name ?

I couldn't make anything out . Had I heard wrong ? No , I don't think so . I am pretty sure I had heard her say Adrian . But nevertheless , I continued to do what I was doing, pushing these disturbing thoughts to the back of my mind . But once again …..

" Stop teasing me , Adrian . You know you want it ." said the sweet voice I would recognize anywhere .

" This is the only place where _I _actually have a chance of getting away unharmed after teasing _you_ . So , if you think I am not going to grasp this opportunity , then you are wrong my love ." This earned a particularly loud, irritated groan from her .

" Then you should know that I _am _ avenging this in the morning ." she added mockingly .

" Knowing you , I had already guessed that I would have to face the infamous wrath of Rose Hathaway . And I think I have come to terms with my own awaiting fate ." I replied calmly . Well , as calm as I could be while lying on top of this beauty . Just being near her makes my heart skip a beat . Then , you can very well imagine what I was going through when we were in this position tonight .

But where was I really ? Rose seemed to be talking to Adrian and now when I come to think of it , the voice certainly did not sound like mine . Also I could not really recognize the room . The last place I remember being was my own room in the guardian quarters . Nothing of this place seemed familiar . I didn't even remember coming here tonight . It was as if I had been teleported there by magic . It all seemed unreal to me , yet the beauty who lay in front of me was too familiar for me to ignore . Yet again , was this _really_ me ? Was this really _me_ with Rose tonight ? What was happening to me ? How could this be ? Because this certainly seemed too realistic to be merely a dream .

All these questions were reeling around in my mind . I couldn't make head or tail out of any of this . As I racked my brain to find some meaning to this situation , reality struck me and it struck like a bolt of lightning .

Of course . I was in Adrian's head . How could I have not thought of that before ? Rose had told me about her experiences when she got pulled into Lissa's head , because of her strong emotions when she and Christian were _doing it _. Yes , I had heard it plenty of times , but I would never have guessed that it would feel like this . This was just _so_ real , yet _so_ unbelievable , and in this case , _so_ shocking and horrifying .

As soon as I had figured it out , there was only one thought in my mind . I had to get out of here . I couldn't watch this any longer . How did Rose manage to pull herself out ? I had no clue , and the scene before me was beginning to get uglier by the minute .

Finally , after a lot of trying and screaming at myself in my head , I succeeded in snapping myself out of that trance , and I found myself lying on my bed , drenched in sweat from head to toe . After a few moments , I could feel my earlier arousal slowly leave my body , _definitely _ not as quickly as I would have liked .

I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed . It was unbelievable , and rather disgusting . I tried to shake those images out of my head . but I wasn't really succeeding in my endeavours . I mean . how could I ? I had just seen the love of my life make love to my bondmate . And to say that I had seen it would be the understatement of the century . I had felt it , in first person . I felt like it was me lying on top of her , kissing her like there was no tomorrow . Even though I was back in reality , my mind had registered every detail of her body . It seemed as if I could still smell her beautiful scent lingering in the air , as if I could still taste her luscious lips on my tongue . And to _think_ that it was Adrian who was with her right now , in some room here in Court .

I couldn't wrap my head around my surroundings , all I could think of was Roza , my Roza , and the way he had been touching her . How could she allow him to do it ? How could she stoop so low ? After all , he _was_ an uptight royal moroi known for his playboy attitude . No , no , how could she do this ? How _dare_ he do this to _her_ .

This very thought was enough to send me raging through the door of my room and go looking for him . I could _definitely _use the bond to find him right now . It took me all that I was worth to stop myself from going to find him this instant and slaughter him .

I stayed still for what felt like an eternity and tried to calm myself down . With this attempt , I felt my higher reasoning taking over my mind . I knew it was very wrong to blame Rose for this , especially since I knew the truth behind it . When I was in Adrian's head , his thoughts were practically screaming love as their primary emotion. Of course there was lust and everything else , but there _was love_ too . He really _did_ love her . He _did_ care for her . He was not like the other moroi , atleast when it came to Rose . And after what I had done to her , did I _even possess _the right to interfere in what she does with her life ? After all , I _had _rejected her when she was deeply in love with me . Maybe she _was _happy with Adrian . Maybe , just maybe , he was good for her after all . Could I be selfish enough to ruin this for her too ?

It was too much for me to process in this state of mind . So , I thought it best to splash some cold water on my face . I tried to make my way to the bathroom , but my body was too numb to even budge . I don't think Rose had ever reacted _so _badly after she had witnessed Lissa and Christian together . I think it might be because I had seen _Rose _with someone else . Maybe that is what was causing the ache in my heart , the one I felt right now . I guess I wouldn't have reacted this badly if I had seen someone else . At this point , I only had my luck to blame for this situation , along with my own stupidity .

I tried to move again , and fortunately , this time I was able to . I washed my face , without even bothering to pause for a glance at the mirror . I fetched myself a glass of water and then sat on the bed with the glass in hand . The same thoughts were floating around in my mind , I just couldn't get past them . It was too painful for me , knowing that it was my fault . I couldn't help but imagine how my life could have been now , how our lives could have been now , if I hadn't said those words . We could have been _so_ happy . By now, I could have been waking up in bed every morning with Roza in my arms . Thinking of this always brought a smile to my face , even if it was a very grim smile .

With this , my train of thought stumbled upon Adrian . The moment his name crossed my mind , my smile completely disappeared and was replaced by a grimace . I also felt a strong pang of something , jealousy maybe , build up inside me . I had always had the desire of punching him in the face , but after what I had seen , and what he probably was doing with Roza at this very moment , I don't think only a punch could satisfy me . I was actually thinking along the lines of multiple fractures and maybe even death . How dare he touch her like that ? It was vulgar , beyond vulgar . He may be my bondmate , and he also may love Rose , but I couldn't help resenting him . I knew he would never dream of hurting Rose , and everything I felt towards him was absolutely wrong and uncalled for . But I _just _ couldn't help it . I felt nauseous every time I thought that they both were in that room right now , doing who knows what , while I was sitting here , on my bed , plotting ways to kill a royal Moroi, who happened to be the man who had brought me back to life .

With that thought , I decided to go to bed , to atleast try to get some rest and maybe sleep off some of this stupid envy that I felt towards Adrian and the urge to break his skull . After maybe hours of tossing and turning , and a lot of irrational murder planning , I finally felt sleep get the better of me .

**Did you like it ? I hope you did . Please don't forget to review . And once again , Happy Holidays ! :D :D . **


	5. HAPPY NEW YEAR !

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everybody ! May you all have a prosperous new year ahead of you .

Just to tell you guys that I will most probably be updating sometime this week . I also wanted to ask you all a question .

Who do you think Rose will choose at the end of this story ? Tell me your answers and we will see whether they turn out right . Also , feel free to make suggestions about the upcoming events in the story . Would you guys like a twist in the tale ? Do you have any ideas about what it could be ? Please tell me about them in your reviews or just send me a message .

Once again , HAPPY NEW YEAR !

:D :D . .


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi again . I am very sorry for not updating earlier but I wasn't in town . And as for who Rose will choose … Well , I have always been torn between Adrian and Dimitri , and as it turns out , even Rose has had a difficult time choosing . Both Team Adrian and Team Dimitri are going neck to neck right now , so I guess , we will just have to let time run its course . Now , without any further delay , here is your next chapter . I hope you like it . :D :D . . **

I woke up with a start . I blinked a few times in an attempt to clear my vision and steer away the fatigue from the encounters of last night . I made my way to the bathroom and gratefully splashed some cold water on my face , though it did very little to shake off my disturbing and rather homicidal thoughts about Adrian .

I had never thought that I would ever want to kill a moroi . Well , apart from the time when I had beaten my father up . That had been when I was thirteen , and how could someone with even an ounce of dignity and self – respect , simply stand by and watch their mother get beaten up by someone ?

But this was definitely not the same . The incident with my father in my teenage years was rage , sheer blind fury , something that was beyond my ability to control . But Adrian? This is something entirely different . It seems as if there is a void in me , in my life which grows bigger every time I see Adrian with Rose . An ache in my heart that only keeps increasing upon seeing them together . And then as the grief settles in , the anger and resentment towards Adrian begins to raise its ugly head .

I didn't know what to call this feeling . Partly because I don't think I have ever felt this before . Maybe it was jealousy , envy . Probably it _was _jealousy . It sounds so petty for someone who has been trained their whole life to kill fierce undead vampires, but believe me , it is not easy to deal with . Especially when you are supposed to meet the source of your problems in maybe an hour or so .

So many thoughts clouded my mind while I was in the shower . Memories of a somewhat carefree past , when Roza and I only had to deal with our feelings and nothing else . Of course , thanks to our luck , that didn't last very long .

But now was not the time to think about all this . At the present moment , I had much more on my plate than I would have liked . I had to be at Christian and Lissa's apartment in half an hour . Well , it was technically Lissa's apartment , but they both lived together so it made no difference . When we had arrived at Court after the Strigoi incident , the moroi had been provided accommodation in the guest housing and we , the guardians had been given accommodation in the guardian quarters , but let's just say , that being the Last dragomir had its own set of privileges . Soon after that Christian had moved in with Lissa and that is where he still lives . And of course Adrian has his own suite . Even though I had never been there myself , I am pretty sure that Rose had been in that suite last night . Ugh , why did it have to be me ? Why not anyone else ? Why did _I _have to be bonded to Adrian ? I felt sick every time I recalled what I had seen last night .

But I had no choice , and so I found my legs taking me towards an apartment that I knew all too well . Surprisingly , I felt nervous . I dreaded seeing them now , for I knew that they would be there . I dreaded seeing _her_ actually , because I was confident that she would realize that I had been inside Adrian's head . I didn't know how she would react and frankly , I didn't want to be in her bad books right now .

" Hey Dimitri . Come in ." greeted Christian , opening the door which I had knocked a few moments ago .

I simply nodded to him and went inside . As Christian's guardian , I had to check on him every now and then . Duty was quite slack because we were currently staying at Court and that is why I don't have to follow him around everywhere . Ever since Lissa had turned me back to a dhampir , she had taken on a very motherly role towards me and had insisted that we all have breakfast at her place every morning . Of course , by " we" she had meant , Christian , Rose , Adrian , me and herself . Eddie also joined us sometimes . I had not been very happy about the idea in the beginning and had refused . But eventually I had to give in because of Lissa's persistence .

Even though I had been reluctant initially , I have to admit that it felt nice . It felt nice to socialise with other people . To laugh along with them at the never-ending jokes they cracked . But above all it felt good , comforting even , to be near Roza every morning . She would always be there , in all her glory , laughing at Eddie or directing her very sarcastic comments at Christian . This never failed to make my day. However , today it was the exact opposite .

I went into the living room , and was relieved to find that they hadn't arrived yet . But soon I realised that they were probably late because they were still in bed , tired because of their late night adventure . I decided to sit on the couch and was soon joined by Christian who kept talking about something that I hardly registered . I guess he had been talking to Lissa at the same time , because he did not seem to do anything to get my attention . I know that I was acting like a very bad house guest , but I was not in the mood for any small talk , when my thoughts kept wandering to a certain dark – haired beauty .

And then , as if on cue , I heard a sweet voice call out from the door .

" Good Morning everyone . Miss me too much ?" I turned around to look at a beaming Rose . She looked gorgeous even when she was wearing her jeans and a T – shirt . She was standing at the door with her fingers intertwined with those of Adrian Ivashkov's . I stared at their hands in disgust , but I thought that it would probably be a better alternative to get out of the room before I did something stupid . I got up from the couch and looked at Rose who gave me dazzling smile , but I couldn't help but notice something else flicker across her face . It was very subtle and I could barely recognise it , and she did a very good job of hiding it .

So , I let it slide and went into the kitchen to get some juice , after trying to return her smile . I don't know how long I was standing there , lost in my own world of hopeless dreaming . My train of thought was broken when I heard someone enter the kitchen too . I turned only to face the person I was thinking about . Roza .

" Hey Comrade . What are you doing here standing all alone ?"

" I just came here to get some juice . But I think I can ask you the same thing ."

" Well , I just came here to do some snooping around in the kitchen . Sparky back there , tipped me off that there might be some left – over doughnuts in the fridge . So , I just came to check it out and put some extra carbohydrates into my system ." she said, making her way to the fridge . I couldn't help smiling at her statement . It was a wonder how someone who eats as much as she does , can maintain such a gorgeous body . I guess , everyone should just throw their diet charts into the garbage .

" Bingo !" she exclaimed and stood up with a chocolate glazed doughnut in hand and a very triumphant expression on her face . She began munching on it and turned to face me .

" I should inform you before I forget that Hans has called a meeting today in the evening and both of us are supposed to be there . So , I guess , that I will have to teach you the bond things some time later . Is that OK with you ?"

I froze the moment I heard the bond being mentioned . Memories of the past night began flooding my mind .

I don't know why but I was simply afraid of how Rose was going to react . I knew I won't be able to hide it from her , she would know eventually . It was a wonder that she hadn't figured it out yet . Nevertheless , she was definitely not stupid , and would figure it out very soon . It was pretty evident that she had also noticed my slight shift in position at the mention of the bond .

" What is wrong with you today ? You have been glaring at Adrian ever since he came here . Wh - " she stopped as the pieces began falling into place . Had I been glaring at him ? I hadn't even noticed it myself . I am such an idiot . But Rose was the one to break the uncomfortable silence .

" You were there weren't you ? You saw everything that happened last night didn't you ?" she sounded almost hysterical .

Her face was a mixture of emotions . I couldn't tell whether she was angry or embarrassed or anything for that matter . But I could make out one dominant expression , while she simply stared at me with disbelief written all over her face .

" I can't believe I didn't think of this before . How stupid could I be ? Of course , you would end up in his head when he was having sex . I guess , I was just used to being the only person around , who is able to pull this off . I guess I am not the only person with abilities which are totally awesome , but disgusting at times , in town anymore . "

I was just standing there like a fool , so , I decided that it was about time that I began explaining myself .

" I am so sorry . I didn't do it on purpose . Half the time , I didn't even know whether it was him or me . It was just a blur . But I swear , as soon as I figured out what was happening , I got myself out of there in no time ."

She mused upon what I had said for sometime . I guess it was embarrassing for her . I mean , Christian had always been embarrassed at the idea , so it was only natural for her to feel the same way . But I hoped that she would understand that I wasn't "watching" on purpose . After thinking about a lot of things , she finally decided to break the silence .

" I guess , you are right . I know how it feels , so I guess it's not a big deal . It's not that you were in his head on purpose . Just promise me that next time , you will get out sooner . OK ?" she asked me earnestly .

Next time ? Did she just say that ? She meant to have a next time with Adrian ? That was enough to smash my heart into smithereens and leave me there groping for air . Pain filled the void that had formed in my heart , and I couldn't bring myself to reply .

" Comrade , it's OK . This is not a big thing , atleast for me . I don't know how Adrian would react to this , and frankly I don't want to find out ." she said as she reached for my hand . It was a friendly gesture , nothing more , but the feeling of warmth was overwhelming , not to mention the electricity , the tension crackling between us . It took me all my will power and self – control not to kiss her there itself and say what I said next .

" I promise . And I really am very sorry ."

No matter how much she wanted me to believe that it was OK , I could still notice the sadness on her face . This certainly puzzled me but I decided not to say anything to her just yet . She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by someone opening the kitchen door again . This time , it was the last person I had wanted to encounter today .

" Little dhampir , Lissa wanted me to check whether you had died of over eating in here ." he said with his lazy grin plastered to his face . He stopped when he saw me , and began giving me a look that clearly told me to back off . But his thoughts conveyed something else . He was worried about Rose . He had clearly sensed that there was something off about her and was definitely not happy about the fact that it was me who had brought about this change . It was Rose who decided to break off our glaring competition .

" If you haven't died of drinking yet , I don't think I am going to die of eating anytime soon ." she said with a smirk .

" Looks like you have a point there , little dhampir ."

" I always have a point , though you don't have enough brains to see it every time ." she retorted . He grinned and pecked her on her lips and I immediately suppressed my urge to punch him in the face . I am very sure he did that on purpose in front of me . And if that was the case , then he was doing a pretty good job at making my blood boil .

" Come on now , let's go . Lissa is getting worried about you , but she is too lazy to get off the couch . That is why she has sent your faithful servant after you to fetch you." he said while mocking a gallant bow . She slapped his arm and opened the door to leave .

" Don't forget to attend the meeting this evening , Comrade ." she said while leaving. But that was not the only message that I received . I heard another one , but this time it was through the bond . And this one had a more menacing feel to it .

_Don't you dare hurt her again or I can guarantee you that things won't turn out very pleasant for you ._

I looked up just in time to receive another glare from Adrian , just before he went into the living room closing the door behind him . Though Adrian had hardly succeeded in scaring me , I couldn't help but notice the seriousness of his tone . He really _did_ care about her . She was definitely special to him . Very special . All of a sudden , it felt , as if the walls of the kitchen were pressing in on me . I could hear cheerful voices laughing and talking , but I was in no mood for merriment , so I thought it would be best if I left .

" Are you leaving already ? But you haven't eaten anything yet ." asked Lissa , clearly surprised .

" I have to ... um …. sort some guardian business out with Hans at the headquarters. It's kind of urgent ." Really smooth Dimitri , _really _smooth , I said to myself .

" Um … OK . See you later then ."

I took it as my cue to make my exit and felt relieved once I breathed the fresh air in one of the Court gardens . I didn't have a particular destination in mind , but my legs seemed to carry me to a place all too familiar to me . The gym .

This gym was much bigger than the one at St . Vladimir's and was obviously well – equipped . There were many gyms within the Court premises but I often visited this particular one whenever I had to clear my mind and set my priorities straight . I had found out that punching things was a very effective way of relieving stress , and it was a much better idea to punch dummies than punch other people .

But today I had no intentions of thinking about anything else , anything other than Rose . Was she happy with him ? She certainly seemed to be happy . But I couldn't help but recall that ghost of an emotion that had flickered across her face earlier this morning . What was it ? What is it that she is trying to hide ?

But my thoughts were interrupted yet again by the sound of someone clearing their throat . I turned around to face someone beaming at me , someone I had , without a doubt not expected to see today .

**Who do you think it is ? Tell me and we will see whether you are right . Did you like this chapter ? Review please . I love to hear what you guys want to say . :D :D . . **


	7. Chapter 6

**Here is the next chapter . I am so , so sorry for not updating the story sooner , but high school is taking its toll on me and I am being bombarded with homework and assignments . But I made the chapter longer this time to try to compensate my late update . Hope you like it . Enjoy ! :D :D . . **

Tasha Ozera .

She was standing near the door , smiling at me with some kind of an amused look on her face . And before I could move , she began walking towards me .

" Close your mouth Dimka . Didn't you know that it's rude ?" she said mockingly .

" Tasha , I didn't know you were coming ." Well , I agree it was a very stupid thing to say , considering the fact that she had probably figured it out by taking a look at my dumbfounded expression , but that didn't stop me from saying it though .

" I'm glad to know that my surprise visit has served its purpose ." she added with some more of her sarcasm .

My mind must really have been numb from what had happened earlier this morning , because I didn't even attempt to make any form of conversation with her . I just wanted to be left alone to brood over my misfortunes . But apparently , Tasha was not letting me go that easily .

Tasha Ozera had always been one of my close friends , closest perhaps . She was nice and I could always be free around her .

I mean , I used to be free around her , until she made it quite clear that her feelings towards me were far from platonic , which was the exact opposite of what I felt . She had made me an offer to become her guardian and also have a relationship with her . She had also made it quite clear that she wanted to have children with me later on in life .

For a male dhampir , this was a very lucrative offer . But being me , I had refused . How could I leave a part of my soul behind and try to love another woman ? The part of my soul , who would happily give up her life for those she loved . The part of my soul named Rose Hathaway .

I had never really considered accepting it , but I _had _thought that maybe it would be better for Rose's future if she was not involved with me . Even Rose , being as self –less as she was , had told me to go , because she thought that would be good for me . But I _just_ couldn't bring myself to do it . I had barely seen Tasha after my rejection of her proposal and I definitely did not want to see her now of all times .

With that I came back to reality , only to realise that Tasha was standing right in front to me , much closer than I would have liked . Who knows , maybe she still harboured feelings for me . But I certainly did not want to find out .

" You have changed Dimka . You look so … different ." she said while trying to reach for my face . Sensing her movement , I quickly moved away and out of her reach . I did not want her to touch me , dreading that I would be reminded of the way Rose's skin felt heated against mine . How her lips ….. Damn it Dimitri , snap out of it already . I chastised myself in my own mind .

I turned to look at Tasha who looked a little sad about the fact that I had not been keen on her coming near me , but I couldn't care less . My mind was dangerously close to wandering towards Rose again . I desperately needed to distract myself now .

" How did you find me here anyways ?" I asked her , attempting to make feeble conversation as a means to take my mind off a certain someone .

" Well , I asked some guardians around here and they told me that they had seen you coming into this gym quite some time ago . Knowing you , I figured that you were probably still working out , getting those muscles into place ." she said , nudging me .

Ew , was she still trying to flirt with me ? Hadn't I made it quite clear to her that I didn't want to be romantically involved with her ? Tasha's hopeless flirting along with last night's happenings , were probably enough to make me throw up all over her. Maybe that would make her stop trying her luck with me . But being the gentleman that I was , I merely nodded and returned her smile .

" So , would you mind escorting me to Christian's house ?" she finally asked . Good. Now I could just hand her over to Christian and take off from there . But something about her behaviour told me that she would try her best to prevent that from happening . I suppressed a sigh and replied .

" Of course . Why would I mind ? I'll go and change ." With that I went into the changing room , showering and changing into my jeans , taking my own sweet time . I finally decided that she might get suspicious if I took more time , and God forbid may even come inside to check . I certainly did not want that to happen .

Left without a choice , I went outside and saw Tasha spring up from her seat .

" Come on already , Dimka ." she said , literally pulling me towards the door . Here I go again . Rose was most probably still there . Lissa had mentioned something about planning for some stupid party that was coming up . And everyone knew that Lissa would never take a single step in these matters without Rose , even though Rose hardly ever wanted to be a part of it . She had changed so much . The incident at Spokane and everything that happened in Siberia had definitely left her scarred emotionally . She was no longer the fun – loving party animal she used to be in her early teenage years . This only managed to depress me further .

Beside me , Tasha kept on blabbering about something , probably about the martial art classes that she took . Did she not understand that I did not want to take part in her conversation ? But finally and thankfully , we stopped in front of Lissa's apartment , for the second time this day .

" I can't wait to see Christian again . It has been such a long time ." she said after ringing the bell .

My heart fell when I saw who opened the door .

" Rose ." greeted Tasha , throwing her arms around her . " It's so nice to see you . How have you been ?"

Rose's eyes fell on me and then Tasha , and you could actually see the wheels turning in her head . I thought I saw a scowl form on her face , that was quickly masked by a small smile . Maybe I had imagined that scowl , who knows , maybe I _was _going crazy .

She reluctantly hugged her back and muttered something to her . I guess , I wasn't the only one who didn't like the idea of Tasha getting all touchy – feely with me . This definitely succeeded in lifting my mood . I was now much happier even though Tasha was practically trying to cling to me . Why was she acting like such a teenager who couldn't keep her hormones in control ?

After the jovial greetings were over , we all sat down for some more catching up . As I had predicted earlier , Tasha insisted that I stay for some more time . So , I sat down and was thankful that it was Lissa who came and sat next to me and not Tasha .

I kept tuning in and out of their banter , hardly paying any attention . Once in a while, whenever a question was directed towards me , I would answer and fall quiet again . I had been lost in my thoughts , ever since I had seen Rose go and sit next Adrian . They both seemed awfully chummy . But Rose had not been very pleased about seeing Tasha with me , had she ? I didn't know what to make out of all this . I _just_ could not understand what Rose felt at this moment .

But I certainly knew what Adrian was feeling right now , and from what I kept hearing over the bond , he was just as bored as I was . Yet he was also excited about something , something that he knew was going to happen in the near future . So , I decided to do a little snooping around of my own . It was slightly difficult initially , as he tried to block it from me . But apparently , he wasn't that good at blocking me out . And after a few minutes of searching through his memories , I found what I was looking for . And I instantly regretted invading his mind . He had blocked me out for a very good reason .

As it turns out , Adrian had been planning on some very intimate alone time with Rose tonight , if you know what I mean . His memories were full of every miniscule detail of their past encounters . It was like reliving last night all over again . While I was trying to get back to my own mind , I silently swore to myself never , and I repeat never to check in on what Adrian was thinking …. Sharing a bond with Adrian was going to be harder than I would have ever thought possible …..

I tuned back into their conversation when I heard Rose's name being mentioned . It had been Tasha who had said her name .

" Well , as I already said , the taboos about dhampir and moroi interaction are simply preposterous . Moroi simply use dhampir women and later run off to marry other moroi . Don't dhampirs deserve better lives ? After all , they _are _the ones risking their lives every day to protect us ."

Her words held passion and her eyes simply confirmed the sincerity with which she spoke . " Is this how we repay them for their sacrifice ? It certainly should not be so . But the question is ….. How do we bring about the change in this age old society that we live in ?" she paused for a while to take a breath . I couldn't help but notice the strange gleam in her eyes . it became almost mischievous as her gaze fell upon Rose .

When I had turned Tasha down , she had asked me to tell her the reason . But once again , I had refused to open my mouth . She may not have realised it then , but something about the way she was acting today , told me that she had figured it out on her own .

But as much as I may not like Tasha now , I had to admit , she was a very good orator , and what she said was the truth . I definitely felt the same way as she did and so did all the others in this room .

" Well , do you have some idea about the issue you will take up and your method of protest ? I would be more than glad to help you ." Lissa said politely .

" Lissa , Aunt Tasha can tell you all about it after she gets herself comfortable in the guest bedroom ." Christian spoke up . " Now where is your luggage ?" he directed this question towards his aunt .

" I left them at my room in the guest housing . I didn't know that I would be staying with you both . Thank you so much for offering ." she nodded gratefully . This is just great . Now Tasha would have a lot of time to flirt with me during her stay . I can hardly wait . I sighed to myself quietly .

Our little group had begun to say their goodbyes and part ways when I heard Lissa's exasperated voice . Apparently , she and Rose had been having a hushed argument about something . Till now only Rose's part of the conversation could be heard in a low but agitated whisper . But Lissa was now too irritated not to voice her thoughts .

" No Rose please . We can't go to some restaurant at Court tonight . Christian really wanted to go there . I thought we already had this conversation ."

" But it's for your own safety Liss . Remember what happened the last time we went outside the wards ? You wouldn't want something like that to happen again , would you ?" replied Rose . I cringed at what she said . I vividly remembered the night she was addressing even though the details were a little hazy . It was the night my life changed forever . It was the night I had died .

After a few long moments , Rose scowled and ran a hand through her hair .

" Fine , I'll be there to guard you on your stupid date with Fireboy . But you both better not start ripping each others' clothes off in public . I really don't want to watch it." She paused for a moment and turned to look at me . " I guess you are tagging along with Christian too huh ? You better keep me entertained while Fireboy says cheesy lines to the princess here ." she told me with a smirk . I returned her smile and rolled my eyes at her .

Wow . This was a very positive turn in the events currently occurring in my life . And I felt smug satisfaction when I felt disappointment through the bond . Ha . I guess , Adrian's plans will not come into play tonight after all . Someone would be very lonely tonight .

I made my way to my own room after confirming when to meet them again . It was decided that we all would leave shortly after the meeting which was scheduled later this day . I was smiling to myself all the way to my room , thinking about Lissa's date. This was going to be very entertaining indeed .

**Like it ? Please give me ideas about how Dimitri will try to win Rose back . And what do you think Tasha is planning ? Again , I am very sorry for not updating sooner . I will try harder next time . But thank you for sticking with the story . **

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	8. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone ….. Thank you for being so , so patient with this story . I'm so very sorry once again for not updating sooner . I was kinda having a writer's block in the middle , so I decided to write another story on Vampire Academy . Writing that had taken some time too . But I know not updating quickly is inexcusable and once again I am very sorry . **

**I would also like to thank everyone for giving me wonderful ideas about this story . I really appreciate it guys . Thanks .**

**Here is your next chapter . Hope you like it . :D :D . . **

" … You make me feel things I never knew existed … You make me see the world in multicolour , not only in black and white …" he paused for a moment looking intently into her eyes . " You make me drunk on your scent ."

" Really ? That's so sweet of you . Tell me honey , what is so addictive about my scent ?" she said alluringly , staring back at him with the same emotions displayed through her eyes .

" You smell like the calm autumn breeze , the vast ocean and fresh lilies ; a scent very unique that belongs only to you ." he told her passionately . She giggled in return, which brought a smile to his face . They continued their verbal exchange , without even noticing the food that was laid out in front of them .

And here we were , glancing around to check for any potential danger and also listening to Lissa and Christian talk sweet to each other all evening . Rose had been right . Christian was very , very cheesy . He sounded like he had come straight out of a book from a different era . Honestly , I wondered how Lissa seemed to enjoy it . Even Rose had given up making jokes about his cheesiness a while ago . I mean , how long can you keep it up ? Christian _never_ seemed to run out of oversweet things to tell Lissa .

Anyways , Rose and I were currently sitting at a table next to them . Since , the tables were set quite apart , we were practically not sticking to them . But , that didn't mean that we couldn't hear them . Because we could hear them loud and clear , perhaps too clear for our liking .

" You think I should go and murder Fire boy over there for being _so _cheesy ? Where does he get all this stuff from ?" she took a big gulp of her mocktail while voicing my thoughts . We couldn't drink alcohol while we were on duty , so it had been mutually decided that we should order mocktails instead of their alcoholic counterparts .

" If I had known that Christian would be so extreme , I probably would have ordered something with a lot of alcohol in it . Maybe some vodka would have helped us . Perhaps it would have helped numb my urge to go kill my own charge ." I told her , while taking a sip of my own drink . My little joke earned a smirk from her .

" They don't even need us here . His stupid flirting would be enough to drive strigoi away anyways ." she chuckled and I found myself laughing along with her . It was so easy to be around Rose , so natural . I never had to pretend when I was with her . Absolutely no false facades , partly because she would see through them in a heart beat .

Earlier this evening , Rose and I had attended the meeting that had been called by Guardian Croft . Nothing much had been discussed there , just the regular shuffling of duties because of certain guardians going on leave etc . Nothing out of the way . So , I really don't know why the meeting had been called in the first place . It had seemed to drag along , especially because I was awaiting what was going to happen next .

And here I was sitting in front of the woman of my dreams , watching her as she commented on anything and everything that was happening around us , while she still managed to stay sharp and assess the area for any threats . This woman really amazed me . The same trained eyes that could astutely spot any form of danger in the unlikeliest of situations , could give you a look so smouldering , that it would be enough to seduce any man .

Not to mention the fact that she was probably the most lethal guardian around and managed to look deadly even in her attire tonight .

I mean , of course we both had hidden our stakes , but while the jacket I wore tonight instead of my duster , as a mark of the importance of this evening , provided an easy stash – away for my stake , I wasn't really sure where Rose had hidden hers . She was wearing a midnight blue off – shoulder dress which reached only a few inches above her knees . Her glorious form screamed sex appeal and yet elegance . She was so gorgeous , and apparently , she was my " date" tonight .

Her dress of course had managed to turn many heads upon our arrival and the waiter had ceaselessly flirted with her while taking our orders . But before I could do the honours, she had shooed him off in classic Rose style . And it had been a very pleasant evening indeed since then .

It was just like the old days , if not better . We laughed and talked about anything one could talk about . She teased me about my choice of music , books and what not and I waved her off with a roll of my eyes . Both of us were in a good mood , a very good mood . And it made me happy to know that I was the one to bring out this pleasant side of her mood once again this evening . I was exceptionally happy because Rose and I had never actually been on a date , so this would count as our first . My heart became ecstatic with joy every time I heard the sweet sound of her laughter , especially because I knew for a fact that she had been on many dates in the past with that stupid , perpetually drunk Adrian Ivashkov .

But amidst all the jovial conversation , I could feel something tug at my heart , something very similar to pain and guilt , but it felt much worse than both combined . Something in my heart told me that this could have happened very often between us , that every day could have been something like this if not this fancy . That same feeling also told me that it was my fault , all my fault . That it was me who had jeopardised the life Roza and I could have been leading today . If only , those foolish words had not escaped my lips that fateful day at the Church . If only ….

" Looks like our Romeo and Juliet over there finally managed to finish their food . I just hope they don't order any dessert ." Rose's voice suddenly spoke up , breaking my train of thought . " Damn it . They just can't get enough can they ?" she swore when she heard Lissa ordering some chocolate mousse . I barely managed to smile at her because , for some unknown reason , I was utterly confused right now .

There was a small voice in my head that was beckoning me to say something , something that I could not grasp yet . I had never been the one to talk to myself when I was stressed or in similar situations , so I was quite taken aback by an incoherent part of me telling me to do something .

It could not be due to the bond because I had been blocking Adrian out all evening , and also the voice didn't sound like Adrian's at all . It sounded surprisingly like my own . But what was it trying to tell me ? Wow . More proof of my journey to crazy land .

Lissa and Christian had almost finished their dessert , but I had a hunch they would not simply pay the bill and leave . They would probably indulge in a bit more of their " conversation" . But that was the last thing on my mind right now . As I racked my brains to figure out what my subconscious mind thought was the right thing for me to do , I suddenly stumbled upon the answer . And when I did , I blurted it out even before realising what I was saying .

" I'm sorry , Roza ."

" Huh ? Sorry for what , Comrade ?" she mumbled . Of all the things she had expected to hear from me tonight , this was definitely not on the list .

" I'm sorry for everything I did and said to you after I turned back , Rose . I reall-" She froze and held up her hand , in a gesture which told me to stop .

" Please Dimitri , let's not talk about this now ." This had certainly struck a nerve and her body language told me to back off . But that voice in my mind had convinced me that this was right . that I _should_ be apologising for what I had said . All of a sudden it felt like the most obvious thing in the world .

" But I just wanted you t-"

" What can you possibly want from me now ? I understand that you don't love me anymore , and I _have_ moved on . I have Adrian now . And I really don't want to talk about it now ." she said , her rising temper evident in the tone she used .

" Yes , absolutely . If that is what you want . But I wanted you to know that I never meant anything that I had said that day . That I ne-" I said it in one breath afraid that she may not listen to my entire speech , but apparently that wasn't enough .

" What ?" she shook her head in disbelief . " What kind of a lie is this ? How stupid do you think I am ?"

" Rose , I am not lying . Please just liste-"

" Don't explain Dimitri , please . I understand that your poor little heart does not hold love for me any more , and I am fine with that . But just remember this that I would have done everything for you … I travelled half – way across the world on my own . And why ? For you . For a flimsy promise I had made to someone I loved ." she closed her eyes while saying this and drew in a deep breath .

" But when I finally fulfilled that promise , what did I get ? The person I loved was certainly back , but only with a minor difference . Not only did he _not_ love me anymore , he ignored me to the best of his abilities ."

" Ro-" I was confident that my face did not portray any emotion , but my eyes were more than enough to give them away . I felt miserable , all the pain and grief that I had kept bottled up within myself were on the verge of overflowing . Maybe it was the truth of her words , or maybe it was the acid that laced her voice when she spoke them , but nonetheless , I could feel myself being dragged deeper and deeper within the aching in my soul with every word that left her mouth .

" No , let _me_ finish . I didn't get to finish this last time , remember ? You have to understand that everything in this world does _not_ revolve around you , Dimitri . I _can _have a life after you ditched me . I _have _moved on . Adrian is there for me now ." she sounded almost hysterical now . I had given up any attempt at forming complete sentences a long time ago , so I was simply sitting there dumbfounded , while the woman I loved the most was throwing the most bitter truths of my life at my face .

Ironically , the voice in my head had now changed sides , and was now continuously chanting what sounded like _She's right . You know she is right , Dimitri . You __did __hurt her . You don't deserve her after what you did to her . Let her move on . She deserves someone who is a lot better than you . _

" And now I am finally trying to be happy once more , to actually live a life . And you are here , trying to drag me back to square one . Trust me Comrade , that square is a place you would _not_ want to visit twice ." she said , her voice heavy with sarcasm and mockery . The same voice in my head told me again … _Let her be truly happy for once in her life ….. _

Rose had already stood up and was moving towards the door . I was about to do the same when she stopped in her tracks and said .

" You stay here . Just tell those two lovebirds that I'll be waiting by the car ." she said pointing at Lissa and Christian , who were too busy locking their lips now . Rose paused for a moment and whispered in a voice too low for anyone to hear . But she knew that I would be able to understand what she was saying . And when I did , my already broken heart was smashed further because of the mere words she had chosen .

" Thank you for the lovely evening , Guardian Belikov ." was what she said . With that she turned around and left the restaurant . Surprisingly , the ramblings of my subconscious mind seemed fairly reasonable now . Maybe I _should_ leave her alone . Maybe she _does_ deserve to be with someone better than me . Maybe this was what I needed . Maybe what I really needed was to know what she was thinking , or was it ?

And whom was I kidding ? Of course I knew what it felt like to be back at square one again . I was standing in that square right now …..

**How do you like this chapter ? What do you think is going to happen next ? Please let me know in your reviews . **

**And please check out my other story …. His Funeral . I kinda thought of it as a one – shot , but if you guys give me some ideas , I may continue it . Please give it a try and let me know what you think . Until next time . :D :D . . **


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey everybody , this is a fairly quick update . I updated within a week . Yay . **

**Here is your next chapter . I hope you all like it . :D :D . . **

" Good morning Dimitri ." greeted a cheerful voice when I opened the door of my room . I looked at her smiling face and groaned mentally . I had had a shift the night before , which meant I had barely had some sleep . But even in my groggy state , I couldn't simply tell her to go away .

" Um ….. What is it Amy ?" I asked trying to sound as polite as possible .

" Well , you have to go to Lissa's apartment now . They called you for something . And _I'm_ on my way to my room to pack my bags . You know , I have that week – long holiday coming up ." she was practically beaming when she said this . And even though her good mood was highly contagious , I couldn't help but feel nervous .

It had now been almost a week since Roza and I had gone on our " date" and I had hardly seen her since . I must say , not seeing her in person _had _helped me numb the pain that her words had inflicted , but that didn't necessarily mean that Rose had left my mind for even a single moment . Because she hadn't , and nor had her words .

I could vividly recall the anger in her eyes when she had told me the very things I had tried so hard to forget . I could recall the pain in her voice as she had reminded me how much I had hurt her .

The same questions haunted me since that night . They swirled around my mind , threatening to engulf me into their depth . Was Rose really over me ? Had Adrian replaced me in her life so quickly ? But who was I to judge any of them , I was the one who had messed up everything . And I loathed myself for that .

Everyday was a struggle knowing that Roza was lying in someone else's arms . Knowing that it was Adrian and not me , who ran his hands over her sensuous body . That he was the one to comfort her when she needed it . Knowing that Adrian could talk to her without seeing the sadness in her eyes , and without provoking anger in her. My only consolation was in knowing that they had not been getting much _action _these past few days , if you know what I mean . This in turn spared me the horror of dropping in on one of their sexual encounters .

And once again , there was the voice in my head , my subconscious mind talking to me . That irritating voice which never missed an opportunity to convince me to let Roza go .

_Adrian is better for her . He can give her a lot more than you will ever be able to . Let her live a good life for once … _The nagging voice kept reminding me . And even though my heart would never again want to comply to this , my higher reasoning couldn't help but see the truth behind these words .

I mean , Adrian's intentions had never been bad , he truly did love her . Moreover , she seemed to be quite happy with him too . And as much as this broke my heart , I couldn't help but wonder whether I was about to jeopardize Rose's life once again , by trying to get her back .

I should have given up by now . I probably would have , if something else hadn't managed to catch my attention that night , during our " date" . And invariably it had been something about Roza .

In the midst of our argument , faith and confidence had radiated off her while speaking of Adrian that night , but I couldn't help but notice a single emotion flicker across her face , even though it lasted only for a few seconds . It had been gone as soon as it had come , but had certainly managed to leave me perplexed in its wake . What could it have been ? It surely seemed to be sadness , maybe even doubt . But why would Rose be sad or doubtful about Adrian when she was standing in front of me , practically yelling at me about how Adrian had helped her through it all ? Or was it something entirely different ? But one thing was for sure. There was a lot more going on in Rose's mind than she was letting anyone know . And I was almost certain that even if she decided to let someone in , I surely wasn't on the list .

I let out a soft sigh at this thought . I had broken her trust and I would be lucky if I ever gained it back , let alone be forgiven by her . But this was not the time to brood upon my misfortunes , especially because I was about to meet the protagonist of all my thoughts very soon , as she was definitely going to be with Lissa at this time of the day .

" Do you know _why _I have to go there ? And why couldn't they just have called me on my cell phone ?" I asked her .

" Beats me . I will leave it to you to find it out for yourself ." she turned around to leave . " And now if you would excuse me , I have far more important things to do than act as a messenger pigeon ." she said , giving out a laugh at her own comment . This made me chuckle in response too . Amy was cheery and a good friend of mine amongst the guardians . She was also the reason all of us had been able to walk away alive from that alley after the strigoi attack near Lehigh University . If she hadn't arrived there at the nick of time, none of us would have been here to tell the tale . She was really nice and she happened to be Adrian's guardian .

With that my thoughts turned to Adrian . I had tried very hard to block him out , but it was just not possible at times . His feelings often tended to go haywire and consequentially I felt the mental walls that separated our minds , crumble away every time.

But now I felt nothing noteworthy through the bond , so I let curiosity get the better of me and decided to snoop around a bit . Yes , I know I had vowed never to invade his mind after what I had seen there last time , but as I said , curiosity is a very powerful thing .

As I racked his brains to find what my drunken bondmate was doing , I found out that I would be meeting him soon enough , for he was sitting at the very place I had been summoned to . And , on top of that , he was sitting next to the very person who refused to ever leave my mind .

Jealousy surged within me while contentment flooded through the bond . And why wouldn't it ? He was with Rose after all . Any man lucky enough to be with someone like her was bound to be a lot more than content . That lucky bastard . He now had what I had been too blind to see and had taken for granted , and now I was left regretting my own actions .

Once again , I found my thoughts invariably drifting towards a certain dark – haired beauty , and I found my legs taking me towards where she was . I came to a stop in front of her best friend's apartment and was greeted by Christian . And by the looks of it , he was clearly not expecting me there .

Wait . I thought I had been called there . Hadn't I ?

Still confused , I looked around and said , " I got the message that you wanted to see me , Lissa ….. ?" It came out to be more of a question than a statement really . But it wasn't Lissa who replied .

" Actually , it was me who called you , Dimka . I thought that a little socialising would be good for you ." said the voice that had laughed along with me several times over the years . A voice which had flirted with me innumerable times . A voice which belonged to none other than Tasha Ozera .

I hadn't even given a second thought about who had summoned me . I had been too preoccupied with my thoughts about Roza and had presumed that it had been Lissa . And I was definitely surprised by the devilish grin Tasha was giving me right now . This woman certainly had something up her sleeve .

I looked at her and saw the excitement glinting through her eyes . I was not at all happy to be there . Mostly because I was drowning in self – pity and self – loathing , while I tried to convince myself that Adrian was better for Rose in many ways . And that is why I had avoided her the past few days . Being in the same room as her was not helping me at all , and to think that I was in this situation because of Tasha's childish games . Ugh.

I was definitely not in the best of moods . But even in my irate state of mind , I could see something luminous in Tasha's eyes . Something which I had rarely seen in those blue eyes of hers . Something mysterious , yet impish . Something that seemed almost alarming in its gleam .

**I hope you liked the chapter . Please tell me what you thought of it . Your reviews mean a lot to mean . Thank you once again for reading . Until next time . Enjoy . :D :D . . **


	10. Chapter 9

**I am terribly sorry for the long , long wait once again . And I am grateful to all those readers who have stuck with the story . This chapter is quite long , and hopefully to your liking . And thank you for your wonderful ideas . **

**I will not keep you waiting further . Here is your chapter . Keep Reading . Enjoy . :D :D . . **

" Fine ." I sighed as I walked over to the sofa and sat down next to Lissa with Christian on her other side . I quickly glanced at the people around me , registering my surroundings . But my gaze was held by only one individual in the room , one very beautiful woman sitting next to her_ boyfriend_ , who happened to have his arms around her shoulder . Almost immediately , I felt something dark creep under my skin and I grimaced at the fact that she didn't seem to mind being so close to him at all .

There seemed to be a battle raging inside my mind . A part of it was in favour of me breaking that arm of Adrian's , while another part begged me to stay put and let Rose make her own decision , of which , the result was very apparent right now .

And by the time I had sat down and normal conversation had resumed amongst the others , the part of me which commanded me to murder a particular royal moroi was on the verge of winning my mental battle . And therefore , I was very thankful to whoever had broken me out of my reverie .

" So Aunt Tasha , aren't you going to tell us about the issue you are taking up now ? We have been hearing a lot of talk about it around Court . Lissa and I will be more than happy to participate ." said Christian .

" Oh yes , I have been meaning to tell you . And your participation will play a major part in its success ." Tasha replied , stealing a glance around the room . " As I told you before , it is time that we do something about the preposterous taboos that exist in our society about the hierarchy between the moroi and dhampirs , especially the _royal_ moroi and dhampirs . And if this is a success , it will greatly benefit the dhampirs and may even give them more rights in the future ."

" But what exactly do you plan on doing Tasha ?" This time it was Adrian who had spoken up and all of a sudden , impatience washed over me like the waves in the sea . I found myself tapping my foot on the floor as the feeling intensified and I tried tracing it back to its origin .

After checking the bond , I finally concluded that Adrian was not edgy at all . So where was this coming from ? And what about the dark sensation that had filled me the moment I had set my eyes on Adrian today ? I had never been particularly fond of Adrian , but I had never actually meant to cause him harm in any way , at least nothing fatal . But nowadays , something at the back of my head kept trying to push me into doing things that I know I would regret all my life . It was getting increasingly difficult to fight this voice as the days went by , and everyday I found myself closer to losing my control . What was happening to me ? It was a dark , shadowy feeling which washed over me so very often these days . It made me feel utterly vulnerable , as if I would inevitably succumb to it soon .

This frightened me . I had always fought to keep myself in place , but never had I felt like this before . This was beyond the mere rage battles that sometimes went on in my head . This was _definitely _greater , more powerful . And the more I thought about it , the more I began questioning my own sanity . Wh-

" Is something wrong , Dimka ?" I looked around and found Tasha looking at me with worry written all over her face .

" Nothing . It's just that I need to be somewhere else now ." I told her , my words coming out far more sharply than I had meant them to . I noticed the hurt on Tasha's face , a thought which I promptly ignored . Partly , because in my peripheral vision , I was aware of a pair of eyes watching every movement of mine with curiosity . I wanted to turn and meet the gaze of those beautiful brown eyes , but my stubborn self prevented me from doing anything of that sort . _If she has moved on , I should let her . _That nagging voice in my head told me , and I found myself adding reason behind those treacherous words .

" Go on Tasha , don't bother about me ." I told her when I realised that she had paused momentarily .

" Oh yes , absolutely . I am very sure we all are well aware of the taboos about moroi – dhampir interaction and relationships between the two races are frowned upon by the aristocrats of our society." Tasha began , regaining her poise .

" Tell me about it ." said Rose while turning and looking at Adrian while his grip on her shoulder tightened slightly .

" See ? That is exactly what I am talking about . Rose and Adrian know , better than anyone else , how people feel about this . They may not have the courage to say anything to their face with Adrian being the Queen's great - nephew and Rose being a high – ranking guardian , with a fierce reputation ….." Rose grinned at Tasha's little joke and I chuckled to myself , while Tasha continued to speak . " ….. but their mindset never seems to change . And that is exactly what we aim to do …. Bring about change ."

" And how exactly do you intend to do this Tasha ?" asked Lissa , clearly interested in what Tasha had said .

" Well , that is where I will need a little help from you all ." she sneaked another glance at where Rose was sitting before she continued . " Especially you both ."

The moment she gestured towards Rose and the moroi sitting next to her , realisation struck me like a bolt of lightning . Right then , I knew what Tasha had been planning all along . And I also knew that Rose had caught on too .

How had I not realised this earlier ? I am such an idiot . Here I was , deciding whether or not to physically pry Adrian off Rose and punch his face in , and at the same time , Tasha was trying to get them closer to each other . Ugh . I could just kill her right now .

" OK , let's hear it Tasha . What _exactly_ do you want us to do ?" said Rose in a no – non sense kind of way .

" Well …. Not much really …. Since royals are the ones " setting the trends" and they are the ones who are mostly prejudiced ….. I was thinking that other royals paving the way would be very useful in our demonstrations . And what better royal can we think of other than the Queen's very own great - nephew …." She trailed off while diverting her attention towards Adrian and Rose , both of whom , seemed to be lost deep in thought .

Feelings very similar to happiness , joy and worry flowed through the bond as Adrian pondered upon Tasha's words . He was extremely delighted at the opportunity to proclaim Rose as his own in front of everyone , and being as rebellious as he was , he rejoiced in the fact that he would be able to defy ridiculous practices that he did not believe in . Yet , a trickle of worry existed in his mind . He was unsure about how Rose would respond to this proposal , and I found myself hoping that her response would disappoint him . But as soon as Rose spoke up , discontent rose within me instead of Adrian .

" Ok , I guess . I don't think Adrian would mind ." said Rose , noticing him from the corner of her eye . " Just let us know what we have to do . I would _love _to kick the butts of those old hags ." she added , while her lips pulled up in one of her trademark smirks .

" I wouldn't mind kicking some myself , especially since my father would be one of them ." Adrian piped in , grinning lazily , in a desperate attempt to keep his overwhelming joy off his face . And to my chagrin , I received a full – fledged report of his innermost emotions . Oh , the woes of being brought back to life by Adrian Ivashkov .

" Well , that is settled then . I am very glad that you both are on – board with this idea for our protest . Meanwhile , I will try to think of more royal moroi – dhampir pairings . The more the merrier ." she diplomatically glanced my way when she spoke the last part .

And that discreet glance caused my second revelation of the day . And it stunned me to see how much thought Tasha had put into all of her scheming . By involving Rose and Adrian as a couple in her " causes" , she was not only bringing them closer but also distancing me from Rose . But the part which shocked me the most was that she was still planning on getting me back . That is what she had indicated when she had said about finding other royal moroi – dhampir couples . _She _was a royal moroi and _I _was a dhampir .

I was utterly disgusted by the immaturity in the way she was thinking . Why was she acting like a love – struck teenager who couldn't keep their hormones in control ? Did she really think , I would walk into her arms when all this was over ? No way , was I falling for this trap of hers . But what about Rose ? She hadn't even hesitated once while agreeing to this proposal . Thinking of them together made my blood boil in a way I had never thought possible . That darkness threatened to swallow me every time it crossed my mind .

" Oh . And Lissa , I was wondering whether we could launch into this thing in the party that the royals are attending next week . You know , the one you are arranging ." Tasha suddenly said .

" Oh absolutely . I would be delighted to let you do your thing at the party . This way our whole protest could start off with a bang ." Lissa almost squealed at the mention of the party .

" Oh no . I was planning on going to that only as a guardian . Please can we stick to the original plan ?" Rose complained .

Rose and Lissa were stark opposites , in almost every way . Rose was volatile , while Lissa was patient and calm . One was prim and proper , while the other was rough and tough . One was blond while the other was a brunette . One was a princess , while the other was her guardian . Sometimes , I thought how they both were _so _close . But I guess they both balanced each other in a way only opposites can . Lissa tried to rein Rose in whenever she tried to do something without thinking , and Rose probably taught Lissa to stand up for herself . It was surprising to see how two people so different , could be so close . But I guess that is how relationships work sometimes …

" Looks like you have dress up and go to the party with Adrian after all ." chuckled Christian , with a triumphant smirk plastered on his face , when out of the blue , someone decided to say something that would effectively ruin this morning further for me .

" But you know what would be better than moroi and dhampirs being in a relationship with each other ?" said a female voice that was pushing my self - control over the edge this morning . " Moroi – dhampir couples getting married ….. " You could actually see the wheels turning in her head , and I certainly did not like the direction this was going .

Her comment made everyone's head snap towards her . Wow . This woman was really daring. No one in the room had expected something like this to come out of the conversation we had had . This was not appropriate at all , for her to even think something like that . And if you see through my eyes , at that moment , Tasha was the most evil , conniving bastard that had ever walked this Earth . And my body was definitely working towards putting an end to that kind of evil . But I stopped in my tracks when I heard the only voice which could compare to the amount of rage gushing within me .

" Whoah . Let me stop you right there Tasha . I think you are a bit out of line with the whole marriage business . I am not sure if I could support your cause to that extent." yelled Rose . Her voice made it clear that she was nearing hysteria and her face and body language proved that she would gladly punch anything that had the misfortune of being near her at that particular moment .

This made a small , smug smile appear on my face , especially when I felt sadness and rejection bleed into me through the bond , not to mention the slightest amount of fear. I was deeply elated when I felt that Adrian had been hurt by the fact that Rose was appalled by the idea of their marriage . Wow . He really was serious about her , wasn't he ?

" No Rose , I am not implying anything . I am just saying that it would be a better approach . But since we don't know any such couples , I just don't think it would be _our _approach . We just have to find another way ." said Tasha in a hasty attempt at defending herself .

" That's more like it Tasha ." said Rose , trying to calm down , probably because of something Lissa was telling her through their bond . But she didn't do it without throwing another menacing glare at Tasha .

" Well , I think I have done enough _socialising _for one day . I better be going now ." I quickly added , attempting to flee this uncomfortable situation . " If you need anything, you know where to find me . Now if you would excuse me , I'll be on my way ." I said while turning to the door . No one tried to stop me this time , probably because of what had happened a few moments ago . And to add to that , the tone of my voice clearly told everyone to leave me alone .

As I made my way towards my room , my mind began pondering upon what had happened since Amy had arrived at my door in the morning . What my brain could not process was the sensation of something dark , black and not to mention powerful , that was drawing me into its depth , leaving me grasping for air . This had gone far past my comfort level , and I still found it impossible to eradicate it . Adrian was most certainly using more Spirit than he was letting anyone know .

So , _this_ is how Rose felt when the darkness from Lissa was threatening to overpower her . _This_ is what it felt like when she was losing control , when she had wanted nothing more than to take revenge on Jesse Zeklos and the others for hurting her best friend . It was truly horrible , truly terrifying . And my mood fell further when I recalled what had soon followed Rose's outburst that day . Our time in the cabin , and how I had been forced by fate to abandon her at her time of need .

All these thoughts were numbing my already tired mind , and even as I was unlocking the door to my room , I felt fatigue enrapture me . So , I closed my eyes , welcoming the sweet oblivion that sleep provided , as soon as my head hit the pillow .

**So , the darkness is getting to Dimitri and Rose's feelings aren't clear yet . What is going through her mind ? Whom will she choose ? **

**The next chapter will hold something that you all have been waiting for … Keep Reading . And do not forget to tell me what you thought of this chapter . Review please . Enjoy . :D :D . . **


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello everyone , this is a quick update and it also happens to be the longest chapter till now . Isn't it great ? Thank you for your generous reviews . They never fail to make my day . **

**Thank you all , for sticking to this story , and I hope you all like this chapter as well . Here is your next chapter . Enjoy . Keep Reading . :D :D . . **

Her breath hitched as I lightly brushed my fingertips against her bare body , even though her lips never slackened against mine while kissing me with the lust and desire that she felt . The feel of her tongue commencing an invigorating dance with my own was more than enough to drive me over the edge . And even in the heat of passion , I could sense the power and authority that lay underneath the disguise of her gorgeous frame .

I could feel one of her hands tangling itself in my hair . I , all too eagerly , complied to its command and deepened the kiss further . It felt rejuvenating to feel her body pressed up against mine , while her back was pressing into the wall . But her free hand running up my chest was the thing that would be testing my patience tonight .

She had already made short work of my shirt and I broke the kiss to provide us a much - required opportunity to breathe , but I was not about to waste even a single second with her , so I pressed my lips against a sensitive spot on her neck , which I knew existed there , while she fumbled to unbuckle my belt .

Upon succeeding , she continued her pleasurable assault on my body while I kissed her with as much fervour as I was worth . Another nibble on her earlobe , earned me a particularly loud moan from her , and I felt a smile creep onto my face . I was rejoicing at the fact that I was with her tonight and knowing that I have this kind of an effect on her only managed to increase my happiness manifold . She was the strongest woman I had ever come across and by far , the most beautiful . She was unique in her own way, one of a kind . And the best part was ….. that she was mine . In that moment , I had no doubt that I loved her , and I felt the growing need to let her know once more .

" I love you , Rose . I love you so , so much ." I whispered against her supple skin , loud enough for only her ears to recognise the words .

But surprisingly enough , my voice didn't sound the same . It wasn't as husky as I remembered it to be and it definitely didn't have an accent lacing it . Yet , pushing those thoughts aside , I brought my lips to hers and locked them in yet another kiss of passion . But some , incoherent part of my mind , kept telling me that something was wrong , that I was not supposed to be here . But how can that be possible ? I was with my Roza . _Of course _, I was supposed to be here . This _was _real . I could feel a trail of fire being left wherever her bare skin made contact with mine . This is what I had wanted for so long . Then , how could I be imagining this so vividly ?

Even while I was trying to convince my mind , my body never stopped working , and I found myself attempting to unbutton the pair of jeans Rose was wearing .

_This is not happening to you , Dimitri . Get out of there while you still have the chance ….. _were the words swirling around my mind , and that was when realisation struck me . I had been pulled into Adrian's head once again . It was _that bastard_ who was with Rose this very moment . I _had_ to get of here now . Wasn't it supposed to be easier to pull myself out , now that I had done it before ?

I knew there wasn't much time at hand for me to pull off my escape , because the scene before me was deteriorating by the second .

I was on the verge of successfully pulling back into my own head when I felt my – Adrian's – face being pulled up by a familiar pair of hands to look into those endless brown eyes of hers . I stared into those captivating eyes and found myself drowning in them . She was smiling and her eyes portrayed millions of unrecognisable emotions . She parted her lips to say something but stopped in her tracks .

" I– Wait a second ." she said , the tone of her voice changed dramatically when she added the last part . I could see the wheels turning in her head and the fury radiating off her . And at that moment , I knew she had seen me .

It was like my time as a strigoi when I had kidnapped Lissa , to lure Rose . By some uncanny sensation , I had known that Rose was watching when I had looked into Lissa's eyes , and now I knew that history had repeated itself , but only in a much more compromising situation .

" How dare he ? I told him not to ….." Rose continued to ramble in her rage , while she scurried across the room to get dressed . " Don't _look_ at me , Adrian ." she yelled at him when he tried to ask her what was wrong . I could feel Adrian's confusion through the bond and I could sense that it would not be long before he realised what exactly had happened . He was currently in a haze from the _activities_ they were indulging in before Rose's sudden outburst .

" I have to go somewhere Adrian , and you dare not follow me ." she screamed at him , as she made her way towards the door .

" I'm coming with yo-" Adrian tried to say before he was interrupted mid – sentence.

" You better stay here Adrian , or I will personally make sure that you will never be able to have sex again ." she threatened me – him – with a menacing glare and she banged the door shut after she had left .

I had been left dumbfounded by the scene that had unfolded in front of me , but the banging of the door was enough to bring me back to my senses . I _had _to get out of there as quickly as possible because there was no doubt in my mind about Roza's choice of destination .

After merely seconds of trying , I found myself lying on my bed , drenched in sweat from head to toe . In the next few moments of perplexity , I could feel my earlier arousal leave my body and I finally became capable of actually processing my surroundings .

_Wow . That was quick . I wish I had been able to pull it off before she had actually seen me . _

To tell you the truth , I had no idea how I had made it out so fast after Rose had left her room . Maybe it because of the anticipation of what was going to happen next , that had brought me back to my body with such ease .

But now was not the time to think about all this . I currently had a raging beauty storming down the hallway , probably dead – set on killing me tonight . What was I supposed to do now ? Honestly , I had no idea . So , I decided to just sit tight and mentally prepare myself for what was yet to come .

Perhaps only a meagre number of minutes had passed before I heard a certain someone barge into my room without bothering to knock , but it felt like an eternity . An eternity filled with anxiety and guilt . I looked up and saw the same endless eyes , only this time , they seemed to hold all the vehemence and ferocity that existed in the world . At that moment , I decided to remain silent , while she decided to do the exact opposite .

" As far as I remember _Belikov_ , I told you _not_ to stay inside his head long enough to make a porn star out of me ." she yelled at me , and the way in which she pronounced my last name , made it sound beyond filthy . I would have expected to be saddened by this , but to my surprise , I felt frustration and anger surge through me . _Why doesn't she understand that I love her ? _I tried to compose myself enough to explain the happenings to her .

" Calm down Rose . I got out as soon as I could . _You _of all people should know how hard it can be to distinguish it from reality ."

_And it is harder for me because it __you __who Adrian is with . _I added in my mind , though I daren't tell it to her at this point of time .

" Oh come on . How naïve do you think I am ? A news flash for you … I am not seventeen anymo-"

" Please Rose . You know very well , that I would never do something like that to you . Please Rose , just trus-"

" Trust you ? Is that what you want me to do ? Even after everything that happened … You want me to trust you ? Really , what do you take me for ? Do you think I am _that _stupid ?" she sneered at me , her voice heavy with mockery and scorn . Once again , I felt the anger I had tried to push away , take hold of me . It was overwhelming and beyond my control , but I tried with all my heart to keep it at bay , for I did not want to say something I would regret later on . _How could she think that of me ? She has to know ….. _Of course , I didn't say any of those words , instead I opted for …..

" No Roza . I do-"

" Don't call me that . I am sick of hearing you call me _Roza_ , as if nothing ever happened , and we are back at the Academy . As if my life is as carefree and fun as it used to be . As I would have liked it to be ." she screamed , nearing hysteria . And that was when something in me snapped . Did she honestly think that my life was any better than hers right now ? I had literally , been through Hell and back , and she was indirectly accusing me of enjoying my life? I had had to witness the love of my life getting hot and heavy with another man , and she was standing there , accusing me of being any happier than she is ? This was preposterous , And I couldn't stop myself from saying what I said next .

" Well , I am sick of this _too_ ."

" _You _are sick ? Sick of what ? Sick of being rejected after you did so much for someone you loved ? I don't think so , because the last time I checked , _I_ was the one who was supposed to be sick of that ." she snorted , and the heavy sarcasm that her voice held was too much for me to take .

" No . I am fed up of acting like nothing ever happened _too_ . I am sick of pretending that I don't love you ." I was breathing heavily with frustration by the time I had said the words that betrayed my inner – most feelings to the bewildered woman standing in front me . I could observe her facial expression changing , once she had comprehended the meaning of my words .

" Oh . Don't start _that_ again . Don't you know when to stop ? Don't you know when your joke becomes old ?" she scoffed at me , while the muscles of her beautiful face pulled up in a sneer full of derision .

" I am not lying now , Rose . Pl-"

" This is ridicu-"

And I couldn't take it anymore . The way her hands moved about . The way she held her poise even in her fury . The way a fire burned in her eyes was too much for me to take . My control had definitely collapsed in the past , but this was by far the most serious breach of my self – control so far .

In that single , eternal moment , all I could see was her and nothing else . In my eyes, she was the single – most beautiful creature to ever walk this planet . All thoughts of her anger and rage being directed at me flew out of the window and in that brief , yet ever – lasting instant I believed that she _had_ to know . She _had_ to take me seriously . And I also knew , deep down in my heart , that she loved me too .

My body seemed to have sprouted a mind of its own and before I knew it , I found myself reaching for the beauty standing before me . My arms caught her by her shoulders and I crashed my needy lips to hers , in a long awaited kiss of desperation and longing .

The moment our lips had come in contact , the overwhelming electricity burned through me , and I knew she felt it too . But she just stood there frozen , while I worked my way over her lips , feeling the overpowering heat enrapture me as the intensity built up between us .

The kiss was earth shattering in its true sense , but that feeling , multiplied a million times over as Rose responded by wrapping her arms around me , urging me to come closer to her . But my body needed no persuasion , so I deepened the kiss and felt Roza act accordingly in response .

My memory had not done justice to what she felt like . The way her lips moved against mine , the way her fingers gently tugged at the strands of my hair . It was truly mesmerising and I found myself attempting to commit every attribute of hers to memory . Who knows , I may never get this opportunity again .

I may not have been sure about a lot of things at that point of time , but I _definitely_ knew one thing … This was where I belonged …. In her arms . I knew what I had been missing , and I hoped against hope that she would give me another chance at amending my mistakes .

But my fears came true when I felt her try to move out of my grasp . I held onto her, not wanting to part from the warmth of her body . But she effectively pushed me away and stood there looking as dazed as I was feeling .

" That should not have happened ." she said , running her hand through her hair after she had recovered from the effect of that kiss .

" But I love you . And I know for a fact , that somewhere in your heart , you still harbour feelings for me , Roza ." I pleaded . I needed her in my life , I needed to make amends . No one would ever be able to replace her in my sorry existence . To me , she would always be the light at the end of the tunnel .

" The world does _not_ revolve around you Dimitri . I have Adrian now . I love him too ." she all but screamed at me . Those mere words managed to shatter my heart into millions of pieces . I had known all along that she did like Adrian more than I would have preferred , but I had also led myself into believing that somehow , with some kind of magic , she would come back to me in the end . I was broken out of my reverie when I heard Rose mumble something in an uncharacteristically small voice .

" Does he ….. Does he love me ?"

" Huh ….. What ?"

" You can tell how he feels right ? So tell me , does he love me ? Is it more than the sex for him or is he just lying when he tells me that he loves me ?" she asked .

My world was torn apart by that single question . I could practically feel my heart sinking into oblivion . What was I supposed to tell her ? I knew the answer very well , but how was I supposed to tell her that Adrian actually loved her , so that she could happily walk into his arms . _Of course_ , Adrian loved her , but _I _loved her too .

That left me with my second option , one which had very less chances of success . I could look Rose in the eye and lie to her , tell her that Adrian was simply using her . But I knew this was not true and I couldn't do this to any of them . Even if I opted to lie to her , she would see through me in a heart beat .

_Let her choose for herself . Let her be happy … _said the voice that apparently belonged to my subconscious mind . So , I told her what I never thought I would say .

" Yes . Yes Roza , he does love you ." I sighed as my throat wouldn't allow any more words to escape . Never before , had I felt like this . My insides seemed to be on fire , and every breath I took required much more effort than it should have . I watched Roza carefully as a small , sad smile crossed her features and she ran her hand through her hair one last time .

" Then , I guess , I have nothing to complain about ."

And with those words she left the room . She left me with a broken heart that I doubt would ever heal . I stared at the door she had slammed behind her for what felt like an eternity , and I lost all hope of ever having a future with the woman I loved the most . The only woman I would _ever_ love . My Roza .

**Did you like this chapter ? Please let me know what you think . **

**Poor Adrian . Poor Dimitri . And did anyone notice that Rose became softer towards Dimitri after the kiss ? No one knows what Rose is thinking , but one thing is for sure …. She is **_**very**_** confused . **

**Do not forget to review . Until next time … Enjoy . Keep Reading . :D :D . . **


	12. Chapter 11

**You guys cannot possibly imagine how sorry I am for not updating sooner , but I had a lot of things going on here . I am extremely sorry . **

**And this chapter will let you know what Rose is actually thinking . I will not waste anymore of your time . Enjoy . Keep Reading . :D :D . . **

**Rose's POV . . **

" Hey , watch where you are going ." I heard someone shout as I bumped into something hard .

" Sorry ." I muttered without slowing my pace down . My mind was a blur in its true sense . I could barely focus on what was happening around me , the people walking by , the buzz of chatter that filled the air … I couldn't even focus on where my legs were taking me . There was only one thing my mind could process , and it was the man who had once practically been the centre of my world , it was Dimitri Belikov .

But right now , I could feel my legs taking me somewhere within Court . I looked around and recognised it to be the Court Gardens . I felt myself walking over to the nearest bench available and seating myself . As soon as my body had settled into the seat , my thoughts flew back to a certain Russian once again …..

Dimitri may not have been at the very centre of my life for the past few weeks , but he was definitely a major part of it . And what had happened earlier tonight had most certainly moved him towards the centre of my universe , considering that the kiss was all I could think about right now .

His lips had felt so wonderful when they had pressed up against mine . His intoxicating breath lingering in the air , his finger tips lightly travelling up and down my spine sending chills down my body . And it was not within my capability to ignore the electricity , the heat that intensified between us every time we touched . It had been such a long time since Dimitri and I had been together like this , a long time for my heart to ache for a kiss that held that kind of passion . But there was something else that had flared in me during that kiss too . An emotion , I had tried to bury in order to get on with my life , an emotion that drew me invariably towards my former love , Dimitri .

But then why was I sitting here and regretting it ? Why did I long for his touch at the same time when the guilt was eating away at me ?

What was I supposed to do now ? No one could even fathom how hard I had tried to bury my feelings for Dimitri . It had been so hard to be pushed away by the one whom you had done so much for . Yet , I had respected his wishes and left him alone .

And I could never have done it without Adrian by my side . He had helped me move on with my life while accepting the fact that I may never be able to love him as much as I loved Dimitri . He had told me how much he loved me innumerable times , and even though the sincerity of his words shone through his eyes , I had found myself being reluctant in admitting the fact that he did love me .

But earlier this evening , when Dimitri had said that Adrian genuinely loved me , a part of me rejoiced while a part of me blamed myself for not doing justice towards him . And that feeling multiplied a hundred times over when I saw the look on Dimitri's face . I had never seen him this … _broken_ . He had always been so strong, _so_ confident , and even in his weak moments he had never seemed so miserable . He had looked down when he had said those words but not before I had caught a glimpse of his eyes , and the emotions swirling in them . And once again , my world had been torn apart by the only two men in it .

While Dimitri was the one I had wanted to be with , Adrian had been so sweet and caring , and finally deciding to give him a chance had not turned out to be as bad as I thought it would have . I guess , I had never noticed what lay underneath his playboy exterior because I was so infatuated with my mentor .

And as for Dimitri . One doesn't go to such great lengths to bring someone back if they didn't love them , do they ? At one point of time , he was all I had wanted . To be with him and guard Lissa , was what I had pictured as the unattainable dream . But even though I tried to convince myself , over and over again , that things had changed since my time at the Academy , I couldn't help but wonder whether they _really_ _had_ . Had I _really_ " moved on" with my life , or was I still stuck at the end of the same divergent road ?

I could feel the cool breeze brush against my skin , while I mulled over the happenings in my life . The garden really _was_ beautiful with the numerous statues and trees adorning it . I don't know how long I had been there , but I was broken out of my reverie when I felt someone come and sit next to me .

My body relaxed upon seeing the person as quickly as it had tensed up when I had felt him sit next to me . I looked into those green eyes of his and saw the concern they held for me . I felt Adrian wrap his arms around my shoulder and pull me to his body , with me obliging all too eagerly . I rested my baffled head on his shoulder and let out a soft sigh into the cool atmosphere that surrounded us .

What was I supposed to do now ? I loved them both for who they were . They were poles apart from each other but maybe that was why I had fallen for them . I had accepted being with Adrian . But now with Dimitri claiming that he still loved me , I was left to decide something that I never thought I would have to . Back at the Academy , I would never have guessed that I would be in a dilemma for choosing between Dimitri and Adrian because at that time , Dimitri would have been the only answer . But now …..

I could feel Adrian's soft breathing and looked up at his face . He smiled down at me but I couldn't help but notice the sadness that was etched on his face , the sadness he was trying desperately to hide through a display of bravado . And at that moment I knew , that he understood exactly what I was feeling .

With that , I felt guilt overcome me once again , and I found myself nestling closer to Adrian with my head back on his shoulder . I fixed my gaze at a statue of some long – forgotten moroi monarch while my head was preparing itself for blowing up . Even though my mind was invariably replaying the kiss with Dimitri , I couldn't help but notice the comfort that hung around me along with Adrian as we sat there on that bench in one of the Court Gardens .

**Did you like it ? Please do not forget to review . **

**Once again , I am extremely sorry for not updating sooner . **

**Please review . Until next time . Keep Reading . :D :D . . **


	13. Chapter 12

**I am so sorry for the late update , but I needed some time to figure out the next part of the story . **

**Thank you so very much for sticking with the story and for your lovely reviews. I will not keep you waiting any further . So , here is your next chapter . **

**Keep Reading . Enjoy . :D :D . . **

" Are you sure you don't want to come with us , honey ?" Lissa asked Christian for what could easily be the hundredth time in the past hour .

" Hey , you never asked me that . You know I don't want to go on this stupid shopping trip either . Why don't I get an option ?" whined Rose from inside the car . I had barely seen her after that night , so I had absolutely no way of knowing what she felt . I was beyond frustrated by this point of time and had mostly kept to myself apart from when I had to perform my duties .

We all were standing near the Court gates , ready to see – off Lissa , Rose , Tasha and a few extra guardians . Thankfully , Christian and Adrian had refused to go to the mall with them , so , being Christian's guardian I didn't have to go either .

" Yes , I am very sure . Who in their right minds wouldn't be ?" said Christian and received a slap in the arm from Lissa for that comment of his . But they weren't the ones my mind was focussing on right now , because I was too preoccupied with watching Adrian walk over to Rose and listening to what they were saying .

" I will give you a hundred bucks if you could get me out of this ." said Rose , mocking seriousness , and her gorgeous hair glistening in the Sun .

" Sorry Rose . As awesome as I am , even I can't get you out of this . You know how stubborn Lissa can get when she wants you to be there to help her pick her clothes ." replied Adrian with that lazy smirk of his playing on his lips .

" You said that right ."

" Maybe you should enjoy yourself a little , while you are at it ." he said while dangling his credit card in front of her , urging her to take it .

" Oh please , I don't want your credit card . Shopping for the whole day with Lissa _and _Tasha , I would rather go jump off a cliff ." she said chuckling and pushed his hand away .

" Oh yes . I forgot , that you only need my money when you have to run away ." he said with a grin on his face .

" Wow . That was hilarious , Adrian . Now , if you don't mind , I have to go and watch those two shop till they drop dead and also bore myself to death ." she replied , her voice heavy with sarcasm .

" I couldn't let that happen , could I ? By the way , don't forget to buy a dress for yourself for the party . And remember , all of us will be staying at the Badica estate for a whole weekend , so you might want to get something ….. Well , I am not sure what you would want to get , to tell you the truth . So , you are pretty much free to do whatever you want to do on this trip ." said Adrian in a sing song voice . Rose frowned at him .

" Yeah , like wring someone's neck ? And don't even get me started on the party . Plus I have a feeling that Lissa will not be forgetting about my dress anytime soon ." she paused and looked at her watch . " Anyway , I think we should be leaving . Come on Liss . Stop getting all lovey – dovey already ." she called over to Lissa who was still deep in conversation with Christian . I looked over at them and when I noticed Tasha walking over towards me , I kicked myself in my head for even turning my head .

" Hey there , Dimka . Are you free later today ? I was thinking we could catch up with each other . I have hardly seen you since I came here . It's almost as if you were avoiding me ." she said with a very speculating look on her face and a nervous laugh .

" Um ….. Actually I have a shift tonight ." I said as quickly as I could . I really did not want to spend any more time with Tasha than was absolutely necessary . And I was finding it increasingly difficult to avoid this clingy woman , because she kept appearing everywhere I went . But I would be a shame to all the guardians if I weren't able to successfully avoid a moroi . So , I used the brain I had and tried to avoid her . And guess what , it worked … most of the time .

" You better be going now , Tasha . You don't want to be left behind ." I said while ushering her towards the car when I saw Adrian leaning his head towards Roza . She seemed reluctant initially , as if she was thinking something over , judging something, but eventually she brought her lips to his for a kiss goodbye . It lasted a little longer than it should have and a _lot_ longer than I would have liked .

With my heart breaking on one hand and my blood boiling on the other , I definitely was in no mood for Tasha's endless and hopeless flirting . So , I ushered her in and chanced another glance at the love of my life , only to see her quickly shift her gaze away from me .

Her eyes had turned away too quickly for me to decipher what lay behind them , but that glance raised innumerable questions in my head . Did that kiss mean nothing to her ? Did _I _mean nothing to her anymore ? I had poured my heart and soul into that long - awaited kiss and had felt so much when she had wrapped her arms around me , but had she not felt any of it?

As I struggled to keep my overwhelming emotions in check , I watched the car drive away into the distance and without saying another word to anyone , I went back to my room to kill the time I seemed to have in abundance …

I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to a very annoying voice in my head . My first fleeting thought was that I had finally crossed over to crazy land , but then I realised that it was Adrian trying to talk to me through the bond .

_I need to talk to you now . It is very important . You know where to find me . _

And he was right . I _did_ know where to find him . Where else would a jobless royal moroi who liked his liquor wind up at this time of the day ? At _any_ given time of day in fact .

So , within a few short minutes , I found myself following my gut and landing up at the front gate of the most popular bar in Court . And I was _definitely _not surprised when I found my bondmate there and the state he was in . But what _did _surprise me , was what he said to me when I sat down next to him at the counter .

" I know what you are trying to do , you know ." said Adrian , in his drunken slur .

" What are you talking about Adrian ?" was my brilliant reply . Well of course , I knew what he was talking about and a part of me , the one which respected him , understood the severity of what I was trying to do . But the other part of me , the dominant part , was well , plain jealous . It craved for the one person I may never be able to love again because she was with him .

Yes , it was my fault , but had I been so _insignificant_ in her life , that she had gotten over me so quickly ? That she had moved on with this inebriated man in front of me so fast ? But before I could brood over my misfortunes a little longer , I was broken out of my trance by the same man I envied so much .

" I know something happened that night . I didn't want to pressurise her that is why I never asked her exactly what happened , but I can see it in her aura . It is written all over it . And let me tell you something , I don't like it one bit ." he sneered at me , as best he could in his intoxicated state .

I smirked to myself in my mind at this thought . I too , had noticed this change in her, even though I had barely seen her . Other than Rose , who had always enjoyed her time in the spotlight , seeming distant , Adrian's sexual encounters with her had also , thankfully , reduced to a minimum . This meant that I would no longer be kept up all night due to the bond but only because of the guilt I felt towards a certain dark – haired beauty who seemed to star in almost all my thoughts lately .

" Look Adrian , I think you have had more than enough to drink . Come on , I'll take you to your room ." I told him while I reached for his arm to support him up , because frankly , I wasn't sure if he could even stand up on his own by this point of time .

As soon as I had touched his arm , he yanked it back and held my gaze . " You will not get to me , you cradle – robber . I care about her . I _love _her , damn it and I will not let you break her heart all over again . I have seen how hurt she was after you were turned back . I had never seen her that … _broken_ before . And I see her now , trying to get over it and being stopped once again by whom ? … _You_ , of course ." he paused for a second before he continued with his near hysterical rant .

" Have you ever considered , Dimitri , that maybe _you _are holding her back ? Maybe you are causing her more pain than you mean to ." he got up from his seat unsteadily , but looked at me straight in the eye for one last time this day and said .

" Look all I want is for her to be happy , and as much as I hate to admit it , I know you want that too . So , why don't you think before you leap next time ? Maybe that will do _her _some good ." he patted me on the back and turned towards the exit . "Now if you would excuse me , I have to go and pass out somewhere ."

And with that he left me speechless , as he tried to make his way out of the bar in his drunken stagger . Questions were reeling around in my mind , but I couldn't answer even one of them , partly because I was still having a hard time processing the gravity of what Adrian had just told me .

What he had said , was what I had been afraid to admit to myself all along . What if I _was _pulling her back ? I was not taken aback by Adrian's " threats" or his frankness or anything for that matter , but the mere _truth_ behind his words . He may have been drunk but he had clearly thought this over a lot because his words had revealed everything I was afraid of .

But now , when everything was out in the open , I _had _to stop and acknowledge this fact , the fact that I had _always_ been pulling her back . Rose had risked everything she had ever worked for , to save me when I had been awakened . She had been ready to give up her life for me , for someone who had absolutely nothing to offer to her . And me , being the ungrateful bastard that I am , had pushed her away at the first chance I had got .

Not only was I unable to form any words right now , I wasn't able to form any coherent thoughts either . With the guilt and envy engulfing me , I had no idea what to think about nor what to feel . So , I looked down at my watch and calculated how much time it would take for Rose and the others to return , as I ordered the first glass of vodka that I would have in very , very long time .

**Did you like it ? Please review this chapter to tell me what you think . I have thought of how the next part of this story will go and I will start working on the next chapter pretty soon . **

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	14. Chapter 13

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" Where the Hell are they ?" whined Christian , almost throwing a tantrum . " We have been waiting here for 20 minutes already . I think we should leave without them."

" No . I am not leaving without my best friend . Do you understand that ? And stop acting like such a baby . If you knew Rose half as well as I do , then you would be thanking God that it has been _only _20 minutes ." said Lissa , clearly exasperated , but this little joke of hers earned a light chuckle from me .

We all were , once again standing at the Court gates , but this time I wasn't here to see someone off . Instead , I had my bags packed and was waiting near the car so that we all could go to the Badica Estate together for the stupid royal gathering . And boy , was Lissa right . Rose's infamous impunctuality had been something that I had tasted first hand , within the first few days of knowing her , when she continuously arrived late for practice . It was a wonder that Christian actually expected her to come on time.

I felt a pang of grief when I remembered our time together at the Academy . At that time , we both had been looking forward to her graduating and moving to Court , so that we could be open about our relationship . But now , I would give anything to go back in time , and relive those moments . As I stood there , frowning at how pathetic my life had become , I could hear Lissa , once again try to reason with Christian .

" Christian please , I already called her a few times and through the bond too . Just relax . She will be here and so will Adrian . They both are probably on their way ." said Lissa , though Christian didn't look very convinced .

" I wonder what they are doing together for _so _long ….." another voice spoke up from behind me , and I turned to face Tasha , who had a sly look on her face . I really didn't want to brood upon what she was implying . I knew for a fact , that Adrian was with Rose , but they were definitely not doing anything that I would not have liked , if you know what I mean . Plus , I noted to myself , that I could always trust Tasha to point out things , mostly regarding Rose , that I would normally try to block out so that I did not go and create a scene by punching someone . Tasha just _loved _to add fuel to the fire .

I was probably glaring at Tasha because she looked more hurt and probably a little afraid than amused . I turned away from her , once I heard Christian's slightly annoying voice again .

" Look who finally decided to grace us with their presence ." He said , with sarcasm lining his voice , as he pointed to Rose and Adrian , carrying a bag each and walking towards our little gathering .

" I am flattered , Sparky . Miss me too much ?" said Rose smirking , while Adrian decided to pointedly glower at me .

Christian opened his mouth to say something , but Lissa interrupted him by saying .

" Don't start off again , you both . We really need to get going ." she paused to look at the bag in Rose's hand appreciatively and said , " I knew it was a good idea to get all your other bags into the car and not leave it to you to bring them on your own . God knows , how long you would have taken if I hadn't done that . Somehow , I had feeling that you would be late today ."

" Oh Liss , you know me too well ." said Rose while literally shoving her bag into the car . " Now are going or not ? And this ride better be entertaining because this is the only time I get before I have to deal with all the snobbish royals of the world . And let me tell you , I am not looking forward to it at all ." a frown crossed her beautiful face while she said this .

" Trust me , none of us are looking forward to this , Rose ." said Lissa solemnly , while she got into the car .

I made my way towards the back of the car with the other guardians , but Adrian's thoughts flitted through my mind .

_Remember what I said Belikov . Don't do something stupid enough to hurt her . _

To be honest , I didn't remember much of what had happened that night . The last thing I remember is ordering drink after drink and wondering whether this was what Adrian felt like half his time , because it was a hundred times better than what I had been feeling in the past few weeks . Free , with absolutely no tension in the world .

And I had woken up in my bed the next morning , quite near noon actually , wearing the same clothes that I thought I had worn the night before , with a massive headache , and with absolutely no idea how I had ended up in my own bed . Thank God I hadn't had a shift in the morning that day .

But I _had _in fact been able to retain Adrian's " words of caution" , and when I had thought them over after sobering up , I had actually been quite disturbed . What if he was right ? I mean , since turning back , I had done absolutely nothing to better Rose's life , instead , I had actually made it worse by simply being a part of it . What if Rose wanted me out of her life for good ? I don't know how I would be able to go on without her in mine . And that was the question that bothered me the most … How would I go on like that ? How _could _I go on like that knowing that everything was my fault and my fault alone .

I looked around and met Adrian's emerald ones that clearly had a warning written all over them . I was quite sure that my eyes did not betray any emotions of mine …. Well , not to him atleast . I wonder how much agony Roza would have been able to see in them …

_No Dimitri . At least try not to think about her for some time because if you don't , you will definitely end up doing something you will regret later on . Wait and see what happens , Belikov . _

A voice that sounded very much like my own said this in my head . And it was probably right . But how in the world , could I not think about her when she was so close , sitting right across from me at the back of the car . I knew for a fact that Adrian was not at all happy with this seating arrangement nor did Rose look very comfortable with it . Probably Tasha was not too happy either , because she had been invariably pushed to the front seat next to Amy , who was driving , but I couldn't possibly care less about her right now . She had done more than enough by forcing me to take her to the gathering as a date of some kind .

Apart from the awkwardness that seemed to be ever present between the three of us , the rest of the people in the car were actually enjoying themselves by indulging in conversation that I had absolutely no interest in . And eventually , Rose had joined in too , so had Adrian . All I could think right now was whether I _ever _crossed her mind? Did she feel anything during that kiss we had shared ?

Everyone was talking about something irrelevant , even the guardians in the car , but I was the only one miserable enough to sit quietly , staring out the window . But I turned to look at Mikhail Tanner's face when I felt him nudging me .

" Hey Dimitri , you look kinda off today . Is everything alright ?" he asked . He had finally been given an actual assignment for this " extravagant event" , as they needed as many guardians on duty as possible for these few days . Apart from Mikhail , Amy, Rose and I , there was one more guardian with us , who was called Guardian Lewis , if I am not mistaken . Because frankly , if I had been an introvert before I met Roza , I was probably anti – social right now , at least that is what _I _think .

" Oh no . I am fine . Just had a long night , that's all ." I said . He didn't look quite convinced , but decided against pursuing the matter . I was about go back to blankly staring out the window , but a pair of brown eyes caught my gaze . She looked at me for a fraction of a second with a look I couldn't decipher , and quickly looked away tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear , just like I used to do for her …..

But at the moment , I had absolutely no idea about what to think of that gesture , if you could even _call_ it a gesture , so I did the best I could do right now and pushed it to the back of my mind and reverted back to staring out the window once again . We still had a long time to go , the Badica estate was almost 3 hours from Court , and we had hardly covered any ground till now .

Amy all of a sudden decided to change the radio station to some very loud " modern" rock station or something that people nowadays actually _like _to listen to , but to me it was just very , very loud noise . Both Mikhail and I groaned simultaneously , and I heard Rose laugh at this . It had been so long since I had heard the sound of her laughter , and it wrapped around me like a warm blanket . I turned to look at her and returned the joyful smile she was giving me right now , obviously remembering how she used to make fun of me because of my " unnatural taste in music" . And just like that , for a moment , things were so easy between us , like they used to be before I messed things up .

There never used to be an _awkward _silence between us . I understood her and she understood me , that was it . But now , realising how ill at ease we had been merely minutes ago , I couldn't help but kick myself mentally for screwing up something so beautiful that we had had between us .

Our journey had been quite uneventful since then . Therefore , I was startled when I heard Adrian announce in his languid drawl , pointing at a sprawling mansion and the vast expanse of its grounds , " Ugh . Finally , here we are guys , the Badica Estate ."

**Did you all like this chapter ? I hope you did . Please don't forget to review . It is amazing to read what you guys want to tell me . I know I haven't been able to reply separately to your reviews , but my internet connection is a little slow and causes problems sometimes . I am really sorry about that . **

**Also , I hope you all are not too angry at me for not elaborating what Dimitri had done while he was drunk that night . I am sorry about that . But I hope you like this as well . **

**And as for whom Rose will end up with … only time will tell ….. LOL ….. But personally I think Dimitri deserves a little heart break for what he said to Rose … But that is just me talking ... Let's see who Rose chooses ….. **

**Until next time … Keep Reading …... Enjoy ….. :D :D . . **


	15. Chapter 14

**Hello everyone . I am so sorry once again for the delay . **

**Thank you for your lovely reviews , please keep them coming . I won't delay it any further . Here is your next chapter . **

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**Dimitri's POV **

" Oh come on , Dimka . The least you can do is talk about something ." said a very annoying voice beside me . I looked at the owner of the voice and found myself frowning at Tasha Ozera .

" I have to keep an eye on the happenings in the perimeter , Tasha . Why don't you get that ?"

" You are not on duty , Dimka . I made sure of that , remember ?" she tried to reason with me .

_I wish you hadn't …_ I said to myself . This was actually true , because I honestly wished she hadn't . I was better off standing near the wall and looking around for any form of danger , than standing here , doing the same , but with Tasha clinging to me and nagging the Hell out of me .

" How could I forget that . Anyways , I'll go and get myself a drink or something . Have fun ." I said , quickly making my way away from Tasha before she could protest. I think she finally got the hint and decided to leave me alone …. For a while .

We were here at the Badica Esate , attending the long – awaited " party" of the royals . After we had arrived the other day , each one of us were given our own rooms in the mansion . Needless to say , the moroi had been entitled to more " luxury" than us guardians , but I had nothing to complain about . In fact , I would have chosen to go back to my small room at Court in a heart beat instead of staying here .

Ever since our arrival , all the guardians , including me have been extremely busy . We had to do jobs beginning from patrolling the perimeter to things as menial as checking names off the guest lists . To our great dismay and utter disgust , the moroi especially the royals would barely move their asses off their seats .

Security had been strengthened , so , none of us had to tail our moroi day and night . This meant that I had barely seen Christian or Lissa since we came here . Adrian and Rose were on that list too , partly because Rose was as busy as I was in the chaos of the arrangements .

But I _had _seen a lot of Mikhail Tanner amidst the disorder , and he was beginning to grow on me . He was an amiable fellow , with a good enough sense of humour and didn't seem to mind the depressing gloom that seemed to perpetually hang around me nowadays .

Sometimes , I wondered why he kept up with me . I never had been the social type , and I was deteriorating day by day . Who knows ? Maybe he found hope every time he looked at me , that his beloved Sonya Karp would someday be able to come back to him .

And on some level , I guess , I identified with him too . Both of us had lost someone we loved so dearly , though his story was far gruesome and heart – wrenching than mine . Rose and Mikhail had once been on the same pedestal , back when I had been turned into a Strigoi , and I couldn't help but shudder every time I thought of the outcome of Rose's efforts to save my soul . Maybe _that_ was why I actually muttered a greeting to Mikhail every time I saw him .

Coming back to this " festive" day , a day that was not festive in the least for the guardians . After completing my final shift of the day , courtesy of Tasha Ozera , I had found her smiling at my doorstep , urging to get dressed for the party that was to take place within an hour from then . Despite all my attempts to convince her that I was tired , she refused to leave until she dragged me out with her . And as expected , we both were among the very first guests to arrive .

And I have been trying to get Tasha off my back ever since . If she actually cared about me as much as she claimed to , I think she would have sensed my irritation , if not my discomfort , and left me alone a long time ago . _Now_ , grasping the golden opportunity , I walked away from Tasha towards the beverage counter .

Once I had put some distance between myself and my " stalker" , I decided on getting a glass of water instead of the fancy , colourful glasses that everyone around me seemed to be holding in their hands , but a beautiful voice made me turn around and look towards the entrance , the voice I would recognise anywhere on this Earth .

" Oh shut up , Sparky . You have no idea what you are talking about . As a matter of fact , you _never _do ." said Rose mockingly and I found it nearly impossible to take my eyes off her . She looked beyond gorgeous in the black dress that she was wearing . Her hair , left loose over her shoulders , swayed to even the slightest movement of her head . Her lips had been pulled up in a cheery smile , and a certain spark in her eyes . The spark that melted into something more sombre the moment her gaze met mine .

It was a matter of wonder and astonishment , as to how , even in a ball room , now brimming with people , her eyes would invariably fall on me and mine on her . It was comforting as well as eerie , to see how much the both of us complemented each other.

She was surrounded by her loyal group of friends , and she had her arms in Adrian's. The royalty amongst their group certainly made several heads turn at their entrance . But even being the Last Dragomir couldn't attract as many eyes as Roza alone could .

In the periphery , I could see Tasha walking over to them , possibly to meet her nephew and his friends . Joviality followed her approach . But I could feel a pair of brown eyes passing glances in my direction every once in a while .

As confused as I was , I thought it would be best to get a little fresh air from the balcony . There were a few benches here and there in the huge veranda . This was a very enjoyable atmosphere , compared to the mustiness of all the snobbery and pretentiousness inside the room .

Tasha's plan for the protest was already falling into place . Adrian and Rose had arrived together and so had Tasha and I , but they seemed a lot less aloof than we were at this moment . I couldn't take this anymore . It hurt so much to see her with him , so awfully chummy .

" It is beautiful out here tonight , isn't it ?" said Tasha from behind me , successfully startling me .

" Yes , it is . What are you doing out here ?" I asked her , knowing her reason very well .

" I had been looking all over the place for you , Dimka . But I spotted you here and came ." she explained with a smile . What had changed ? Tasha and I go long back , but I don't remember her to be so clingy . We stood there in silence for some time before she spoke up .

" I need to tell you something ." she told me , her voice becoming very serious all of a sudden . And something in her demeanour told me what she wanted to tell me, long before she had even opened her mouth .

" Not now , Tasha . Please ." I didn't need this now . But of course , she wouldn't listen .

" I just wanted to tell you that my offer is still open , D- "

" Just stop , Tasha . Please . Don't you realise that I am tired of this ." I snapped . I honestly was fed up of this charade . Hadn't I made it clear enough for her ? I had handled it with as much politeness as I could muster . But she just wouldn't stop , would she ?

I could feel my temper slipping away from my grip , and at that moment I decided , that I had had enough , not only of her , but of everything else that was happening .

" This is the last time I am telling you this , Tasha . I do _not_ love you . I just don't and it's better for you to accept that ." I said , trying to control myself with what I was worth .

" Because you love _her _? I have heard that Dimitri , and I have also seen you avoiding her all this time ." she replied , undeterred .

" It doesn't matter whom I love , Tasha . It is just not you . I had declined your offer for a reason and that reason is _still_ valid . I am not in love with you , and I don't think I ever will be ."

" But I co - "

" Just stop , please . I have always seen you as a friend , and nothing more . Please just leave me alone ." I yelled at her .

I caught the faintest glimpse of a tear forming in her eyes , as she turned and began walking away . Tasha had finally got the message . But even though I should be rejoicing inside , the anger that had overwhelmed me seconds ago was gone , and I couldn't feel anything but regret . She hadn't done anything wrong , had she ? I could have been a bit calmer when I spoke to her . I had taken out all my frustration and resentment out on her . I could have been more patient . I _should _have been more patient .

" Tasha , wait . Liste - " I called out to her retreating form .

" Save it for someone who cares , Dimitri ." was all she said before she disappeared through the doorway .

I ran my hands through my hair , cursing my own idiocy and temperament . There was no point in running after her , because I was pretty sure she wouldn't listen . Why _would_ she anyways ?

What had I done ? In the process of redeeming myself , not only had I lost the woman I loved but now , I had also lost a friend . Someone who had been my _only_ friend for a very long time . _Damn it . _Where did I learn to mess things up so well ?

Disgusted with myself , I flopped down on the seat nearest to me . I don't know how long I had been lost in my thoughts , but I was brought back to the present when I felt someone sit next to me .

Surprisingly enough , I hadn't been alarmed at all at the unannounced arrival of this someone . Probably because of the familiarity that we shared , or maybe because of her vanilla – like scent that lingered in the air around her . Whatever the reason may be , I found myself , sitting there , welcoming her presence .

" That was tough for you , wasn't it ?" Rose spoke in a distant , soft voice from beside me .

" Huh ? What was tough for me ?" I asked , trying my best to act nonchalant .

" You know , telling Tasha to leave you alone . I know very well , how good a friend she was to you ." she paused for a moment , then continued . " I also know how much more you both could have become ….." she trailed off , not bothering to complete her sentence. But she didn't need to , because I knew what she was implying very well .

" What _she _wanted us to become ….." I corrected her , gazing up at the sky , afraid of what I might see in her eyes . Rose let out a sigh . She knew exactly what I meant , she knew how I felt about Tasha , and she very well knew how I felt about her .

But then , why was she here ? Did she _want _me to give Tasha a chance ? Was this some kind of a twisted redemption theory of her own? Yes , of course . Only Rose would be able to come up with something as ridiculous as this . She already had told me to take Tasha's offer , back at the Academy , and now she was doing it again .

_But you are no better either . _My own voice screamed in my head . And it was right once again . I _definitely_ was not better . I myself , had once been convinced that keeping Rose away from me was the only way I would ever be able to forgive myself for the pain I had inflicted on her in Russia . And now , I regret it every single day .

But before I could brood upon my stupidity a little more , I heard Rose chuckle softly. I turned to look at her , and found her looking at the glass clutched tightly in my hand . I had no idea why I was still holding it . Maybe amidst all the arguing and yelling , my hand had not forgotten this glass , even though my mind certainly had .

" Inside , people are getting drunk left and right , but all you choose is a glass of water ? … Why am I not surprised , Comrade ?" she said , laughing . I smiled to myself at the restoration of the nickname she had given for me .

" I guess , you know me too well , Roza ."

" That I do , Comrade … That I do ." she said , sounding cheerful yet somewhat solemn . And our conversation carried on for quite some time that evening . It was the happiest I had felt in a long time . All the heart break and remorse had long been forgotten , and we were , if nothing else , friends once again , at least for that short evening .

But at some point of time , in the midst of this tête-à-tête , I could feel a kind of sadness overwhelm me , something that did not belong to me . 

_Adrian …. _Was the first thought that went through my mind . But why was he sad ? Wasn't this his kind of party ? The music , the alcohol …

Then it struck me , in all its suddenness . I quickly turned to steal a glance at the doorway through which Tasha had disappeared earlier this evening . But nothing . All I could see through it were a few moroi dancing their heads off in the distance . No sign of Adrian whatsoever …. But did I know better ? He was blocking the bond and I certainly didn't want to waste my time with Rose

Plus , it didn't really matter , if he were here . It's not that we were _doing_ anything . But I couldn't help but feel bad for Adrian too , after all , he had never meant any harm . I guess, he was just one more person caught in the crossfire of my misdoings .

Rose had noticed my sudden movement and asked . " Is something wrong ?"

" No . Um …. I thought I heard something ."

I am not sure if she bought it or not , but she definitely decided not to pursue the matter . The rest of the evening was quite uneventful apart from the fact that I could finally talk freely to the woman of my dreams . Little had I known then , that a very unpleasant surprise lay awaiting me , in the near future .

**Did you guys like it ? What do you think the " surprise" is ? Please do not forget to review this chapter . And thank you so much for sticking with this story. **

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	16. Chapter 15

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**Thank You so much for sticking with this story and I hope you keep liking it in the future . Anyways , here is the next chapter . Keep Reading . Enjoy . :D :D . . **

**Adrian's POV **

" May I have this dance with you ?" I asked , holding my hand out for her to take it , putting on a fake British accent . She smiled at me and said .

" British ? Really ?"

" Why ? You don't like it ?" I said in a tone feigning hurt .

" No . No . It's just that I like the normal Adrian better than the supposedly British Adrian , that's just creepy . " she paused for a second and continued . " Well , as normal as our Adrian is ever going to be ."

I grinned at that comment while I led her to the dance floor . They were finally playing a slow song , after a stream of heart-thumping tunes that they had played almost throughout the evening .

On finding a very crowded dance floor , we both had had to settle for a spot a little away from the sea of dancers . Looks like many were waiting for a romantic song to be played .

I wrapped my arms around her waist and her arms found my neck . I brought her closer to me and we both swayed to the music . I was close enough to breathe in her scent and I could feel my heart race further when she laid her head on my chest . The soft lights could be seen shining off her gorgeous hair and I felt my fingers tangle themselves in those wavy tresses while I let out a content sigh .

" Is something wrong , Adrian ?" she looked up at me with concern in her eyes . She must have misunderstood the reason behind my sigh , or maybe _she _was thinking about something that was disturbing her . Either way , I decided not to probe too much . I wouldn't want to ruin her mood further .

" How can something possibly go wrong on an evening like this , little dhampir ? …. The only thing that can actually happen , is that I can get a heart attack from being so close to you , because my heart is leaping right now ." I said , trying to lighten the mood . She looked up at me , with a playful , almost flirty smile tugging at her lips and said .

" You never fail to seize an opportunity to flirt with me or say something extra cheesy , do you ? "

" And I know you like it …." I said in a sing – song voice .

" I try … Really hard . Trust me ." she chuckled and ruffled my hair .

" Ugh . Rose , do you know how long it took me to style my hair today ?" I tried to fix my hair back , while joking about it with her .

" Don't know , nor do I care ." she chortled .

The song had ended by now , and one more of those fast songs was beating through the loud speakers . What the Hell was wrong with the DJ ?

The both of us made our way towards the food counter when we bumped into Lissa and Christian , who , by the looks of it , were having a really great time .

" Oh . Rose , come with me . I wanted to show you something ." Lissa said , very excited about something .

" What is it now , Liss ?" asked Rose , clearly not looking forward to this surprise of Lissa's .

" Well , it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you , would it ?" she replied . Rose looked like she was trying to probe into Lissa's mind to find out what she was so excited about , apparently in vain . Lissa must have been blocking it from her . I , myself , needed to improve blocking my thoughts from Belikov , if I ever wanted to have privacy in my life again .

" Fine Liss . You win . I'll come with you ." said Rose , giving in . Lissa grabbed her hand and began leading her away from our small group . And by habit , Christian and I began following them too , but Lissa stopped us by saying .

" Where do you think you guys are going ?"

" Wherever you both are going , honey ." said Christian , in what seemed to me , a sickeningly sweet voice .

" Nope . Not allowed . Just stay here or something . OK ?" said Lissa , in a very matter – of – fact tone . And with that they left us standing there .

" So , you want to go grab a beer or something ?" Christian addressed me .

" Vodka is more like it ." said I , and we both walked over to possibly the most crowded place in this ballroom , the bar .

After downing two or three drinks , maybe more , we saw Lissa walk over to us .

" Is your surprise over now ?" grumbled Christian .

" Yes , it is now . Thanks for asking ." she said , with sarcasm lacing her tone , but with a wide grin on her face .

" Sorry to interrupt your " reunion" , but Lissa , where is Rose ?" I asked .

" Oh yeah . She said that she will meet me here . She is probably gobbling down the appetizers or something ." she joked .

" Uh yeah . Probably . I think I'll go look for her ." I said , paving the way for my exit .

" See you later . God knows what state you might find her in ."

" I guess , I'll just have to take my chances ."

And with that I waded my way through the crowd . But Rose was nowhere to be found . Only when I was beginning to believe that she was indeed in the restroom , I spotted her standing near an open door which led to a balcony , through which the cool breeze outside was blowing in . She had a drink in her hand and also what looked like finger food from this distance .

I was about to call out to her , when I decided to test her " vigilance" , something that she was particularly proud of , the one that she claims all guardians have . So , I thought to check if guardians , especially ones as good as her , _could _be surprised at all . I moved in a little closer but she didn't seem to notice my movement . So , I held my ground and waited , when Rose moved away from the door a little . My first thought , was that she had noticed me , but then a woman , all but ran burst through the door and walked away in the other direction , furiously rubbing her eyes in a desperate attempt at preventing others from seeing the tears in her eyes .

It could probably have fooled me too , but I could see it in her aura . The vivid colours in hers screamed sadness and heartbreak at me . And the worst part of it was , that I had caught the scars on her face as well . She was Tasha Ozera .

But Tasha wasn't the woman I was concentrating on , it was Rose . After Tasha had disappeared , Rose came out of her hiding and placed the things in her hand on a table nearby and heaved a sigh , closing her eyes for a moment , as if to ponder upon something .

A quick look at her aura told me that she was more confused than all the people in this room put together . Apart from it being ringed in black , a mark of her being shadow – kissed , tonight her aura was simply overwhelming . There were so many colours all blending into each other . I had rarely seen anything like this , but one thing was for sure , Rose was _baffled_ .

I wanted to talk to her , help her , but something kept made me maintain my distance when she went into the veranda herself . I inched closer , standing exactly where Rose had been mere minutes ago . And I couldn't resist listening in , when I heard Rose's voice resonate through the night .

" That was tough for you , wasn't it ?"

" Huh ? What was tough for me ?" said a voice I was beginning to despise as the days went by . By now , Rose had settled into a seat next to Belikov , and they were talking rather amiably about Tasha , but with an air of reminiscing the past , _their _past.

I had never really liked Belikov , but now he was just crossing the limit . First , he pushes her away , and now he expects her to come back to him like nothing ever happened . She knew better than that …. Didn't she ? And he wasn't the only one who was in love with Rose . I _loved _her too . I brought the man back to life and this is what he gives me in return ? I couldn't let this happen but before I could contemplate over this any more , I became aware of Rose chuckling in the distance .

" Inside , people are getting drunk left and right , but all you choose is a glass of water ? ….. Why am I not surprised , Comrade ?" _Comrade ? ….. _Isn't that what she used to call him back at the Academy ? I didn't want to go down this path again . I didn't _need _to go down this path again .

" I guess , you know me too well , Roza ."

" That I do , Comrade … That I do ." something in her voice broke my heart . On one hand , they simply sounded like two friends talking to each other , but on the other , if you listened close enough , you could hear the solemnity in their voice when they spoke . I daren't spare a glance at them , afraid of what I might see in their auras. But I know for a fact that Rose had not been lying when she had told me that she loved me .

I couldn't take this anymore . I turned around and let my feet carry me somewhere , anywhere away from this . To say I was sad , would be the understatement of the year. I was miserable , heart – broken , enraged all at once . Here was a girl who had made such a great impact on my life . A girl , I loved so , so much . Playboy Adrian Ivashkov has never felt this way about a girl before . Hell , I had even tried to tone down my vices for her . I couldn't just let her slip past me . Belikov may have loved her once , but he didn't deserve her now , not after what he did to her .

No . No . I _had _to do something , something at all . And in the midst of my mental tirade , it struck me with all its suddenness . And just like that , as desperate as it may sound , I knew what exactly I would have to do …

**What do you think Adrian is going to do ? Did you like this chapter ? Please don't forget to review . I would love to hear what you guys have to say . **

**Thank You so much for your reviews . Keep Reading . Enjoy . :D :D . . **


	17. Chapter 16

**Hey Everyone , today is my birthday . Yay ! LOL . And once again , thank you so much for your reviews and if you have any suggestions , please let me know . I won't keep you waiting any longer . Here is your next chapter . Keep Reading . Enjoy . :D :D . . **

" Why are you acting so weird ?" Rose asked , eyeing me with suspicion .

" What ? Weirder than usual ?" I said , trying to lighten the mood .

" _Definitely . _If it weren't , I wouldn't even have mentioned it ." she chuckled while toying with her crème brulée .

Never before had I felt this nervous . Being able to feel an emptiness in your stomach is never a good sign , and I was probably nearing the stage where I would soon begin to sweat. But the curious thing was , that even upon trying very hard , I couldn't pin – point the reason for me being so edgy .

" Seriously , what is wrong with you today , Adrian ?" she asked , after pondering over his queer behaviour for some time .

_Adrian . _That is why I couldn't even recall coming to this hall to have dinner with Rose nor why I had been so anxious . Speaking of which , why was Adrian so nervous in the first place ? Since this was not Adrian's first " date " by any means , he should not have been tensed at all . But the mere fact that he was working very hard to block that piece of information from me , bade me to watch further as their evening unfolded .

" Nothing , really . What in the world could be wrong with me when I am with a woman as beautiful as you ?" I – Adrian – said with a slight smile , trying desperately to divert her attention from his highly apparent restlessness . It did absolutely nothing to convince her , but she must have decided to let it slide all the same .

" Wow . Every sentence …. Every sentence you speak _has _to be something overly cheesy or flirty , doesn't it ?" she said mockingly , a smile tugging at her lips .

" One of my many talents , Little Dhampir ." Adrian said while raising the glassful of wine placed near his hand , and bringing it to his lips . I could feel the wine warm his throat , a feeling much welcomed by him ; while Adrian took this time to try to calm his nerves further .

" Oh yeah ? Well , your talent astounds me . Never seen anything like this . " she spoke up , cheery sarcasm lacing her tone . Adrian gave her another one of his smiles and with that she went back to her dessert and so did Adrian , at least he attempted to .

He began looking around the room , in hopes for something that would tell him that he was right in doing what he was about to . But what was he planning to do ?

He took in his surroundings , all the while consciously blocking his more important thoughts from me . They were in one of the many halls in the estate , but Adrian had it redecorated slightly to give it the ambience of a restaurant , meant only for two . There was one maître d' waiting a little distance away from their table , intent upon catering to their needs . It sickened me to think how Adrian was using " his" money to his advantage in this little situation of ours . I would never be able to afford anything this elaborate . But Roza would see through this , wouldn't she ? And frankly , for some reason , I doubted the fact that Rose had agreed to come on this " date" with him instantly .

Meanwhile , Rose was absorbed in eating what was on her plate and Adrian's eyes finally fell on her . And with that , whatever doubt he may have had in his mind about God knows what , disappeared . Confidence bled through the bond into me as he began thinking clearer ; as he felt the love I felt for her . But he was brought back to reality when he saw Rose look at me – him – and say .

" I know _haute cuisine _is not exactly my kind of food , but I cannot deny the fact that this crème brulée is absolutely delectable ." she paused to look at Adrian's plate and said . " What the Hell are you doing ? Why aren't you eating ? … What were doing this long anyways ?"

" Huh ? Nothing . I was just thinking about something ." he uttered .

" I never thought I would live to see the day when Adrian Ivashkov would actually start thinking . I am stunned Adrian , I must say ." she chuckled . All Adrian did was smirk in return but these words ran through his head before he could prevent me from hearing them .

_You haven't seen anything yet , little dhampir . _With that he discreetly slid his hands into his pocket and felt reassured when his fingers touched something in there . This had piqued my curiosity , so I tried to puzzle out what it could be . Adrian held it firmly in his hand and through the bond I realised that it was some kind of a box , with a velvety texture on the outside . But what was Adrian doing with a box in his pocket ?

I really could not figure out why he would be carrying a small box in his pocket , but when he looked at Rose one more time , clutching the box , the answer struck me in all its suddenness .

_Adrian Ivashkov was going to propose to Rose . Tonight . This very night . _

No . How could this be true ? How could he be proposing to her ? Was he so much in love with her ? But Rose would never say yes , would she ? She couldn't ; she simply couldn't . Because if she did , I would truly lose her forever . The mere thought of having to stand by and watch her tie the knot with someone else was too overwhelming ; let alone having to actually be around at the time of their wedding . But maybe I was getting carried away with the whole scenario . I mean , he hadn't even asked her yet .

By this time , Adrian had quickly gobbled down the rest of his dessert and asked .

" So , should we get going then ?"

" OK then . And I had a really great time , not to mention that the food was amazing. But , you really have to stop going through so much trouble every time , you know . God knows , how many times I have told you this before ." she sighed at the end .

" And you know I won't listen , Rose ." he smirked , and Rose simply rolled her eyes at his reply . " By the way , the evening isn't over yet . I have something to show you . Come with me ." he said , holding her hand and leading her towards the door .

" OK . OK , I am coming . Just calm down , will you ?"

Adrian led her through the corridors of the building , down a flight of stairs and stopped as they reached a garden .

" After you , Little Dhampir ." he gestured towards the entrance , and Rose complied.

I – Adrian – watched her step into the cool dawn breeze as he quickly retrieved the little box from his pocket and turned it over once in his hand , fumbling to muster as much confidence as he could , before falling into step behind her .

The first light of day falling on the dew drops on the many rose bushes in this garden created the illusion of them sparkling , as if thousands of diamonds were hidden in those bushes . I –Adrian – could smell the fragrance of those flowers in the air as he got ready to do what he had been meaning to . At this time of the evening , this garden should have seen quite a few more people , but I had a feeling that Adrian had gone out of his way to ensure that their privacy is not disturbed .

I had been on patrolling duty in this part of the estate before , but it had been dark ; day time for us . And even though I hate to admit it , this backdrop was breath – taking . So , I wasn't really surprised when Rose spoke up .

" I don't remember _ever_ seeing the Sunrise like this before , Adrian . This really is beaut – " but she stopped short when she noticed the look on Adrian's face and the box he was holding in the palm of his hand .

He offered her one last smile before he – I – knelt down on one knee on the grass , before her .

" Adrian …" was all she said , in an uncharacteristically tiny whisper ; but her face told a million other stories . She just stood there frozen , dumbstruck ; and stared down at Adrian , with something unreadable swimming in her eyes .

_No . No . This could not be happening . This was definitely not how it was supposed to be . _I kept screaming to myself in my mind . And I simply couldn't bare to watch as Adrian drew a deep breath , gazed intently at Rose's eyes and began speaking . But he wasn't the only one with their eyes fixed on her ; I was doing the same too . I felt myself drowning in those brown eyes that had once looked at me with so much love . I couldn't even hear what he was saying ; I didn't want to , because all I could think of was that it was supposed to be me . I was supposed to be the one kneeling there before her , not Adrian .

I could feel my heart breaking as the moments flew past ; but I realised that it wasn't only Adrian's strong emotions that had kept me rooted to my place in his head . I had wanted to witness this , to see the outcome , to hear her decision once and for all . Even though I would always blame myself for the way things turned out , at least I would know that she had made her decision on her own accord .

Not only that . It just felt so probable for me , so _real_ . I had imagined this innumerable times over the months I had known Rose . And in this case , witnessing would an understatement ….. I _was _the one in front of her , speaking those earnest words to her.

In the apprehension of the moment , Adrian's barriers had crumbled down , allowing every single one of his emotions to invade me . I could feel everything he felt then , everything _I _would have felt . When he anxiously tried to complete what he was saying , and how he held his breath after he had , waiting for her reply . It was too similar to what I had envisioned . The only difference being , that in my scenario , Adrian would not have been anywhere near us … It would have been just Roza and me .

By now , I too , was holding my breath , waiting for her to say the words ; words that would shed light on her final decision . And even though they had the power to shatter me , I still just wanted to hear the words leave her mouth .

But she seemed to be at a loss for words . She just stood there , looking as if she was being torn apart . She opened her mouth a few times , but no sound came out . She ran her hand through her silky hair once , and just when I was beginning to recall the many times those silky locks had twirled through my fingers , I felt a sharp pull .

What the Hell was that ? But before I could figure out what had actually happened , I could distinctly hear my name being called . And just like that I began blinking and a familiar face appeared in front of me . The face of the very same person calling my name , Mikhail Tanner .

I blinked several times , looking around and trying to take in my surroundings . And once I had a little understanding of the situation , I asked him in all my pent – up frustration and anger .

" What the Hell are you doing here ?"

" You were supposed to oversee the meeting being held right now amongst the Badicas , Dimitri . When you didn't show up , Croft sent me to come looking for you . And I found you in some kind of a trance , sitting on your bed ; so I tried to snap you out of it ." he explained earnestly . " Are you sure you are fine ?"

" I'm OK , Mikhail ." I snapped at him . I knew he had meant no harm, but Rose had been so close to answering and he was the one to prevent me from knowing the outcome . But knowing it was all futile didn't lessen my fury in any way. So , completely blocking Adrian's emotions , and all my rational thinking as well , I got up and made my way towards the door .

The happenings of this evening were baffling to my mind , almost too much to take in . Adrian and Rose were together right now , somewhere here in this very estate ; and I was here , left without a choice , having to watch the love of my life being asked to spend the rest of _her_ life with someone else .

" You better go to Croft once , man . He was not very happy with you earlier ." I heard Mikhail say .

Here , my life was falling apart , and I was definitely in no mood to perform my "duties" . Back at the Academy , Rose had always urged me to loosen up a little , enjoy my time. And that was exactly what I intended to do now . Even though I may not be able to enjoy at all , given the circumstances ; but I would most definitely do it for myself . I didn't want to think about anything now , all I wanted to do was to turn back time and make everything as they used to be . Since that was not a possibility , I chose the only other option I was left with .

" Do me a favour , Mikhail . Go and tell Croft and all those stupid moroi that they can all go to Hell for all I care ." This was all I said before slamming the door shut and storming off with a very specific destination in mind .

**Did you like it ? Where do you think Dimitri is headed ? And finally , do you think Rose said yes ? Tell me what you think about this chapter . Please review . I love listening to what you guys have to say . Until next time . Keep Reading . Enjoy . :D :D . . **


	18. Chapter 17

**Hey everyone . Thank you for all your marvellous reviews and suggestions . Here is the next chapter , which is by far the longest till now . I won't keep you waiting any longer . Keep Reading and I hope you like it . :D :D . . **

" And _I _am his emergency contact ?" I nearly screamed into my phone .

" Well , you know him . The guy barely has any friends here . Now come and get him , Rose ." said Gary , the bartender from the other end of the line . I sighed into the phone and said .

" OK , fine . I'll be there in ten minutes . Just don't let him do anything stupid till then ."

" Too late for that , Rose . I had always thought that a big guy like him would probably be able to hold his liquor a little better ." he chuckled . " But I guess he drank more than everyone else combined . Get here fast , Rose . I don't think anyone of us stands a chance against this drunk Russian bloke ." I hung up the phone and prayed to God for this to be over soon . What the Hell had he got himself into this time ? Hadn't he always been the responsible one ? Then why this sudden change in demeanour ?

Exasperated , I clutched my phone tighter in my hand . I flopped down on the couch and slapped my forehead when a diamond encrusted sapphire engagement ring glittering on my finger caught my eye . It was a very beautiful ring indeed but felt alien to my finger which had never worn one before . I began toying with the ring when I heard Adrian speak up from beside me .

" It was about Dimitri , wasn't it ? You don't suppose he found out somehow , do you ?" he asked cautiously , awaiting my reply .

" Yes , Adrian . I think he found out _exactly _what happened ."

" But , I don't understand . I had been blocki -"

" It doesn't matter anymore , Adrian . Everyone will eventually know anyways . I guess I had wanted them to find out a little differently ." I sighed once more . " But I guess , that doesn't matter either . So , what actually matters right now , is that Dimitri is raving drunk out there and I am supposed to go fetch him as his _emergency contact_." I said while getting off the couch in Adrian's suite .

" Should I come with you ?" he asked , doing the same .

" Oh no . I don't need to be looking for a drunk Adrian too . You just stay put . I don't think it should take very long . I mean , how hard could it be to bring him back to his room ." I smiled feebly . " I just can't catch a break , can I ? I just got engaged a few hours ago , damn it . As if that wasn't enough for me to swallow ."

This earned me a Cheshire grin from Adrian , who bent down , letting his lips hover over mine and said .

" Be back soon , Little Dhampir ." and he locked my lips with his , for a brief yet sweet kiss . I knew he was trying to give me space , even if it required him to come far out of his comfort zone . I mean , Dimitri had always been a touchy subject when it came to my relationship with Adrian . And I loved Adrian for that .

But then again , why did I feel guilt building up inside me when I kissed him . Why did I break the kiss and go off to get Dimitri , leaving Adrian with only a smile ?

I stepped out into the corridor , letting my legs carry me to the lounge where Dimitri probably was ; while my mind stumbled upon the happenings of this highly eventful evening .

To say that I was stunned at what Adrian did would be an underestimation . I would never , even in my wildest dreams , have expected Adrian to do something so extreme. But if I say that I had never imagined myself getting engaged or even married , I would be lying . Maybe once or twice , I had fantasised Dimitri waiting at the end of the aisle , with a smile on his face , while I walked slowly towards him in a white dress . But that was an impossibility right now , considering what had happened between us .

He may claim to still love me but there was a small voice in my head that stopped me from running back to him . Maybe it was because I loved Adrian too . But I still had no idea as to what Adrian was thinking when he proposed marriage to me .

My mind was a haze from the point of time I had actually realised the gravity of what he had asked of me . Honestly , I don't even remember what I was thinking at that time , but what I did notice was the sincerity etched on his face . Dimitri had said that Adrian was in love with me ; but I would never have fathomed that he was this serious about us ; that he would be ready to spend the rest of his life with me .

After taking my time to think it over , I had finally said yes ; but not before he had agreed that actually getting married was a step that we would take slowly . And as he stepped forward to slip the ring on my finger all I could think of was the enormity of our situation . An engagement between the Queen's favourite nephew and a mere Guardian was bound to create a lot more than sheer ripples in our society . But the grin on Adrian's face was worth pushing these disturbing thoughts to the back of my mind .

And that was exactly what I did , for the second time this evening , when I realised that I had arrived at my destination . I was standing in front of the door that to a kind of lounge where everyone went to get drunk . " Lounge" was just a fancy name given to a bar situated within a huge estate .

Just one look towards the counter was all it had taken for my eyes to fall on the one I was looking for . He was chatting animatedly to a Gary who didn't seem to be paying any attention to him at all , apart from the seldom and infrequent nods that he threw Dimitri's way . But that didn't seem to deter Dimitri in the least , as he continued to pour whatever was on his mind out to a man who was hardly listening .

As I neared them , I heard a part of their one – sided conversation .

" ….. I really miss all that , you know Gary ." he paused for a while , with confusion written all over his face and said . " Oh sorry . It's Jerry isn't it ?" he asked with all seriousness . In all the time I had known Dimitri , I had never seen him like this . This may not have been the ideal situation for a Guardian to be caught in , but I had to admit ; this was hilarious . The astute and ever – so – attentive Dimitri Belikov had fallen prey to the hands of what looked like vodka from his beloved Russia . I finally went over and nudged him to get his attention .

" Oh Roza ." he said smiling , with a highly noticeable slur to his words . " Sit down." He said patting the seat next t him . " Meet my friend here , Jerry ."

All Gary did was shoot an amused yet somewhat annoyed glance at him before mouthing the words ….. _Get him out of here …. _To me .

" No , I'm not sitting down here . Instead , you should come with me ." I told Dimitri. He was more surprised at this than he would probably have been , if he hadn't been intoxicated . He was quite confused too , considering what he asked next .

" Huh ? But ….. But aren't you with Adrian ?" he asked . Wow . This was going to be more difficult than I thought it would be . He thought I wanted to go with him to his room , if you know what I mean . I couldn't help but chuckle at this inebriated state he was in . We may never get to see him in such a position ever again ; so I thought it best to revel in the moment instead of brooding upon the complications at hand .

So far , Dimitri had not shown any signs of remembering Adrian's proposal ; to my utter relief . Even though that might have been his reason to go off on a binge drinking expedition , the alcohol had successfully drowned it in his mind ; though for only a short period of time .

" _You_ are going to your room , you idiot . Now stop drinking already ." I said , taking the glass from his hand and setting it on the table out of his reach .

" Oh no . Not yet , Roza . I was just getting started . You should join me ." With that said , he turned to Gary and hollered for him to come over . " Hey Jerry , get Roza here , a glass of this . This woman deserves a break ." he said pointing to the glass from which he had been drinking . And once again , the only response we got from Gary was a look he pointedly threw at me and a nod directed at Dimitri . Nope . Gary was _definitely _not complying to anything this totally smashed Dimitri requested of him this evening .

" You have had more than enough to drink , Dimitri . And you better come with me now ." I said , with all the authority I could muster while I tried to pull him off his seat and drag him back to his room . Even in his drunken haze , he must have realised the finality in my voice and thought it best not to get in my bad books .

We stood in front of the door to his room and I tapped my foot , waiting for him to take his keys out . But when I finally looked up at him , I saw him grinning down at me like the stupid idiot he was .

" What the Hell are you grinning at ? And by the way , would you mind using your freaking key to open the damn door ." I all but yelled at him . Frankly , the stupid grin on his face was beginning to annoy me and the fact that he just could not fit the key properly into the keyhole was simply aggravating . After he had failed in trying to open the door a couple of times , I decided to snatch the key from his hand and do the honours myself .

I had just turned the key and opened the door when he suddenly pulled my hand to him .

" What the He –" and that was when I noticed what he was looking at . It was as if a bucket of cold water had been splashed on him . He intently studied my ring and gently stroked it with his finger ; most sings of him being drunk gone from his face . Utterly dumbfounded , I looked up at his face and met those soft brown eyes of his .

" I guess , he is your _fiancé _now ." It wasn't a question , merely an assumption ; an assumption that visibly saddened him .

" Let's not get into this now , please . Just get to bed ; you will have quite a hangover in the morning ." I said , trying desperately to divert his attention .

" Where is the lucky guy then ?" I guess I hadn't done a very good job at changing the topic , had I ?

" Adrian is in his suite ." I sighed , finally stepping into his room .

" And you are in my _room_ . It is a very beautiful ring though . As I said , you deserve a lot of good things in life ." he said and I followed his finger pointing to my hand .

Upon not receiving a response from me , he asked .

" So , when is the big day , your wedding ? Have you both decided on the date yet ? I have to get myself a tuxedo , don't I ?" he laughed nervously .

My head snapped up and I studied his face . He swallowed after seeing me , trying his best to hide whatever he was feeling . But I could see through his feeble façade . Grief was written all over his face and so was regret . He looked away before I could even open my mouth , because I was stunned at the conclusion he had drawn . Not because of how absurd it was , but because how normal it had been . _Of course , _I was supposed to think about my wedding day , that is what any normal person would have been doing right now . But instead , here I was , pouring salt over the open wounds that the both of us carried .

" Oh no . There is no rush on the wedding . We agreed that we would take it slowly , you know what I mean ." I fumbled , desperately trying to form a coherent sentence that would explain this to him . He simply nodded at my reply , without bothering to face me , before he went and sat down on his bed .

I was getting increasingly uncomfortable with the sudden turn of events and his change in manner . I ran my hand through my hair once , restraining myself from giving into my growing urge to just run away from all this . Instead , I came up with a more civil escape strategy .

" Um …. I think you can take it from here , Dimitri . I'll see you in the morning ." I hurriedly uttered , in order to make my way out of his room , whose walls seemed to be closing in on me by the second .

But before I could even take a step towards the door , he caught my arm for the second time this evening .

" Just tell me one more thing , Roza . Please ." I looked back at him sitting on his bed .

" Fine . What is it ?"

" Is this what you really want ?" he breathed softly . Through the slur in his voice , I could make out the seriousness it held . I heaved another sigh and flopped down on the bed next to him . I didn't dare utter a single word , considering the fact that this was exactly the same question I had been asking myself ever since ….. But before I could even get my thoughts straight , he cupped my cheek in his hand and made me face him .

" Roza , look at me . If this really is what you want ….. Then I have nothing against it . Hell , I'll even be there at your wedding if you want me to ." I gazed into his earnest eyes and I couldn't help but notice the heat that had built up where his skin made contact with mine . I moved my head away before he could say anything else .

" I need some time to sort my life out and so do you . Go to bed now . I don't even know why I am saying all this to you now . You probably won't even remember any of this by morning . I'll see you then ….. I hope you understand , Dimitri ." _Because I surely don't … _was what ran through my mind . I finally got to the door , without risking another glance in his direction and before shutting it for the night , I barely caught him whispering something in a low voice . " I can never forget anything about you , Roza ."

**Did you like it ? What do you think about the drunk Dimitri in this chapter ? Please don't forget to tell me . I spent a lot of time on this part , please tell me how you feel about it . **

**Rose said yes ! What do you guys think about that ? Do you think she made the right decision . All I can say is that ….. This story is not over yet . So , grab on to your seats and keep reading . LOL . **

**Finally , did you guys like the way Adrian proposed in the last chapter ? I had forgotten to ask you this . Let me know what you think . **

**Last , but not the least , thank you for your reviews and suggestions . I highly appreciate them . And keep them coming . So , until next time . Keep Reading and Enjoy . :D :D . . **


	19. Chapter 18

**Hey everyone . I'm sorry for the late update . I hope you like this chapter and where this story is going . Thank you for your lovely reviews and for sticking with the story . I hope you keep on reading . I won't delay any further . Here is your next chapter . Keep Reading . Enjoy . :D :D . . **

**Adrian's POV **

" Good Morning you both . How was your little date last night ?" asked Lissa , in a very suggestive manner , as she opened the door for Rose and I to enter her suite the next afternoon .

Rose and I were doing well ever since she had come back to my place last night . Even though she appeared slightly dishevelled , I had decided not to pursue the matter. But things had been pretty great since then . Well , partly because we barely had had any energy left in us to even talk after she had returned . So , we did the only thing we could do ; we called it a night .

It is not exactly normal for newly engaged couples to anticipate and fret over the reaction of people other than maybe their families ; but this was not the case when it came to us . But this bothered Rose a lot more than it bothered me for some reason I am not aware of . But , as the saying goes , oblivion is bliss . And getting up in the morning and turning over to see Rose lying there next to me ; and knowing that I would no longer have to compete with that Belikov for her was as close to bliss as I would ever get .

" Yeah , Lissa . It went great ." said Rose , emphasising on the last part while she turned to look at me . I offered her a smile just as Lissa let out a very high pitched shriek . I felt Rose tense up almost instantly , and as the both of us turned to face her ; we were met with a Lissa who seemed shocked but harboured a huge smile on her face . We followed her gaze to the ring on Rose's finger , right after Christian came running into the room .

" Oh my God . Please tell me Adrian proposed to you last night and that you both are getting married . I am so happy for you guys ." she all but screamed as she practically leapt onto Rose to give her a hug that seemed to take Rose's breath away ….. Literally .

" OK , Lissa . Calm down there ." Rose said while she pushed an overexcited Lissa off herself .

" How can you tell me to calm down , Rose ? You just got engaged for God's sake. This is so great . My best friend is getting married ." and she kept rambling like this until Christian spared us by succeeding in calming Lissa down and asking us to actually come inside and sit down ; but not before he pulled me into an awkward hug of his own to congratulate me .

" I am fine now , Christian . Thank you _so _much for your concern ." said Lissa , glancing pointedly at Christian and then turning around to look at us and I could feel Rose bracing herself for the flood of questions headed our way .

" I would never have guessed Adrian was planning this under our noses . And here I was , thinking that you both had gone on a date last night . I had no idea that you both had gone on _the _date last night ." she paused for a moment and when she didn't receive any response from any of us , she continued . " So , how did he propose ? You have to tell me about every single detail , Rose ."

Rose took a deep breath and looked at me smiling at her one more time , before she took her cue to start explaining . There was no escaping Lissa . Luckily , Rose didn't go into much detail at all , much to her best friend's dismay . I was glad that she had chosen to keep a few parts of the evening private ; just for the both of us to cherish . And my mind couldn't stop reminiscing those very proceedings .

" Wow . That is so romantic ." she said , glancing at me . " But , now the important stuff . Have you both decided on the date yet ? You have no idea , Rose , since how long I have been imagining your wedding day ."

But she was stopped mid sentence by Rose . " Wait . You used to picture me getting married ? That is just ridiculous ." I could see Lissa preparing a retort when I decided to chime in .

" Plus , we both have decided to take the whole marriage thing slowly , you know . Testing the waters first , before heading into something that big ."

" If that is what you want …." said Lissa , clearly disappointed at the fact that she would not be able to plan Rose's wedding as soon possible . Her enthusiasm about this whole issue was overwhelming and quite contagious . But , it was probably a good idea to wait . This conversation went on for some time until Christian realised how hungry he really was .

" I am starving and I bet Rose is too . You guys want to go and get some lunch at the dining hall ?" he asked .

" You guys go ahead . I'll meet you there . Since all of us are leaving tomorrow , I have to get the schedule from Croft . I won't be too long ." said Rose , moving towards the door .

" We can come with you . It's on the way , you know ." chirped in Lissa before hitting Christian on his arm for beginning to whine about it . Once that was decided , I let my feet take me to the handful of temporary offices for the guardians to operate from ; with Lissa forgetting to breathe in her attempt to explain to us , in overwhelming detail ; about another party that she wanted to throw in our honour . I knew for a fact that Rose nor I , would ever agree to such a thing , but we simply let it slide as shutting Lissa up was one task none of us were looking forward to do .

However she did stop her rant once we were a little distance from the office , partly because Rose said .

" Why don't you guys just wait here while I go and talk to him ? I am not a very big fan of Croft's , nor does he like me very much . So , it's best not to take a whole entourage to meet to him . OK ? Plus , Sparky doesn't want to be late for lunch , does he ?"

She said as began walking away , as I moved forward and grabbed her hand .

" What th – " she turned around to look at me .

" He may not like your entourage but I don't think he would mind your fiancé ….. Soon – to – be husband ." I said grinning . This seemed to lighten her mood and she said while nodding at me come with her .

" If you keep saying it all the time , you won't get to be my husband any time soon , you know ." she joked and I intertwined my fingers with hers .

As we neared the door , we could distinctly hear a heated conversation from inside . Actually , one voice seemed to be quite angry while another calm voice replied when addressed . It was the unruffled voice that made us both stiffen .

" … It doesn't matter , Belikov . I need you to understand that your actions last night were highly inappropriate , not to mention that they were a disgrace to your reputation . And also , that there will be severe repercussions due to your conduct once we reach Court . Now is that understood ?" a man , whom I believed to be Croft, all but yelled .

" Yes sir , I understand ." replied a voice laced with a very familiar accent , in a tone signifying defeat .

" Now go and get back on duty , and try not to throw another glass down your throat on the way ." There had been no response to this , only the turn of the door knob which revealed a very much sober Dimitri . The second his gaze fell on us together , solemnity played all over his face ; which he made a conscious effort to disguise by smiling somewhat brightly at us .

" Uh ….. Hi . I wanted to congratulate you both earlier but , as you probably heard ….." he said pointing towards the room behind him . " …. I was kind of occupied with the whole Croft thing back there ." he said .

" I'm sorry about that , Dimitri ." Rose began before being stopped by Dimitri himself .

" Oh don't worry about stupid stuff like this . It was my fault anyways . You know how these things work . Any which way , you have many … Much _happier _things in mind right now . You should be concerned about all that , Rose ." he paused for a while .

I may not have been a fan of this man , but in all the time I had known Dimitri Belikov , he had always seemed to be the epitome of vigour . To a bystander like me , he always seemed to be in control of any situation he was plunged into . I had seen him many times before , Hell I had even seen him die ; but I had never seen him this ….. _miserable _before . He could barely get his words together when he spoke to us and even while he did , his hands kept fidgeting away in impatience . Even though he did a very good job at keeping his tone even ; his attempt at putting up a façade failed every time one caught a glimpse of his eyes .

" And of course , here is your _fiancé _himself ." he said , acknowledging my presence. " You know what , Adrian ….. You have no idea how lucky you really are . Take very good care of her ." he said while patting me on the back , failing miserably at hiding his emotions once again . He was only too eager to quickly act his part out and leave us be . This was as uncomfortable for him as it was for me ….. Probably a lot more .

" I will be seeing you guys around then . I have to get back on duty now . So ….. Good luck , I guess ." he began walking in the opposite direction , before we could even think of another word to say . I turned to look at Rose , but all I could see was the determination etched on her face . In the periphery , I could see Lissa and Christian standing there , trying to figure out exactly what was happening , though I knew for a fact that they had a very good idea about it .

I began thinking clearly once I felt Rose move her hand away from mine and move towards the office .

" Ro – " I began but she simply raised a hand and said .

" Adrian , I really think you guys should go ahead . I will be fine here , OK ? I just have some business I have to finish up here ." With that she walked off into the office, with that resolute air about her , leaving me dumbfounded there in the corridor .

**Did you like it ? So , tell me what you think about it . What do you think Rose is thinking at this point ? What do you guys think will happen next in the story ? What will Dimitri do ? I do feel sorry for him . In fact , I feel sorry for all three of them . LOL . But do tell me how you feel about this . **

**I love to hear what you guys have to say . They encourage me to write more . I hope you like this story . So , Until next time . Keep Reading . Enjoy . :D :D . . **


	20. Happy Thanksgiving and News !

**Author's Note **

Hello, everyone. I know it has been a long time, and I apologise for that. A lot of things were going on and I did not have enough time to sit down and write. But, I am working on the next chapter now and I just realized how much I missed writing and all you guys … LOL ….. I am thankful to all those of you who are reading this right now, for sticking with the story, even through the long time I was not able to update and I hope you will continue to do the same in the future.

Coming back to the problem at hand. I have thought of the upcoming chapters for the story which I hope you will like. There is in fact a lot of action as well as emotion involved. But, I can't bring myself to write it down completely without hearing from you guys. So, please please, tell me about anything that you have in mind about the story; how you feel the ending should be, who should get together with whom and anything else. I would love to hear your views regarding the story.

And last but not the least, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there. I hope you enjoyed your holiday. That's all for now. So, until next time. Keep Reading. Enjoy. :D :D . .


	21. Chapter 19

**Hey everyone, the chapter is finally up. I hope you all like it and I apologise once again for the delay. On a much cheerful note, a belated Merry Christmas to all and a very Happy New Year in advance … LOL … Now, without further ado, here is the chapter. Enjoy and Keep Reading . :D :D . . **

**Dimitri's POV **

" What do you mean we aren't leaving tomorrow ? " Amy asked, replicating the surprise we all felt.

" I mean exactly what you heard me say. Somehow the Badicas thought that this was too much fun for it to end. And since, most Royals have nothing to do all day anyways, we are all stuck here. " replied Ivashkov, flopping down on the couch next to Rose.

We all were seated in the suite that Lissa and Christian shared at the Estate, and were currently not in a very good mood. This trip was taking a toll on everyone, except the ones deciding its duration; even the toughest of us were nearing our breaking points. There was something about watching people show their money off and subsequently talk about it, that tired you out; and enduring it for days on end was no laughing matter. And by some cruel joke of the Universe, I, not only had to witness the love of my life get engaged to another man, but I was also watching her _fiancé _wrap his arms around her while he settled down on the couch this very instant.

That added to the idea of being demoted or even put on desk duty for an " indefinite" amount of time was eating away at me.

I don't know what gripped me enough to go on a drinking spree that night. Perhaps, I was just being irrational. Or maybe I was dying to do something that I truly wanted to. But, having been proud of my self– control all my life, I was ashamed of myself when I realized what had actually gone down the previous night. Despite having a headache in the morning and very little recollection of the night before, I guess I should be thankful that I woke up in my bed the next morning. But surprisingly soon, grief trumped whatever shame I had felt when I could recall a certain piece of glittering jewellery that I had noticed on Rose's finger in my drunken haze.

The walls seemed to be closing in on me as I tried my best to push away any thoughts of the happy couple from my mind and move on with my duties. But, the little progress that I had made was shattered when I ran into them right after being humiliatingly chastised by Croft.

I did not need her to go around flaunting their relationship to the world in order to understand what she wanted; her simple " yes " to Adrian's question was more than enough to destroy the last shred of hope that I had been clinging to. I probably should have realized this a long time ago, but I had simply refused to observe the obvious. But, at that moment, it struck me like a bolt of lightning that there would never be an "us" for Rose and me. I had lost her. It was what she wanted … And exactly what I would give her. Our ship had sailed, leaving me alone to repent my actions. But, attempting to maintain my distance from the couple was not an option at the Estate considering how Rose and I would _have _to work in close quarters. And that was why I was here, in the same room as them, with grief tugging at my heart.

" Wait. Why are we stuck? Those snobs can go " enjoy " this stupid " retreat " all they want. You can leave early right? You, Lissa and Christian. And you know what that means … We all get to follow you out of this Hell hole. " said Rose, directing her question towards Lissa.

" I wish Rose. But, I have to stay. It's almost an obligation, and probably the only polite thing for me to do. I can't just get up and leave, as much as I want to and nor can Adrian or Christian. I am surprised that the Guardians haven't heard of this yet." Said Lissa, frowning. Rose did not reply to this, and she didn't need to. Her demeanour conveyed her disapproval effectively.

" There is supposed to be a meeting this afternoon. I guess, we now know what it is about." Mikhail chimed in. " Did they say anything about how long this extension might be? "

" Not too long, I guess. A couple of more days, perhaps. " replied Adrian.

" Well, that's good because if we stay here any longer than that, you both are gonna have to celebrate your honeymoon here. " chuckled Amy.

It was light hearted and innocent enough, but to a keen observer, the reaction was almost visible. Rose stirred slightly in Adrian's arms and a sense of uneasiness seeped through the bond into me as Adrian noticed this. He had actually become exceptionally good at blocking our bond, mostly out of necessity, but he was too distracted now to consciously keep me out. I felt him throw a glance in my direction.

" Oh, I don't think it is gonna be_ that_ long, Amy. " said Rose while playing with her ring.

" Come on. Don't disappoint them further. Don't make it harder for the lovebirds to stay here longer . " said Mikhail joining in the fun, oblivious to the discomfort it caused among some in the room.

Rose became visibly fidgety and Adrian began consciously blocking his thoughts from me once again. And as for me, every little comment of theirs felt like a sword through my heart. Their harmless remarks seemed to flash all my mistakes before my eyes; an array of incidents that all seemed to lead up to Rose in a white dress with Adrian Ivashkov on the other end of the aisle. I tried my best to keep a level head; but, I can only hope that I was successful.

Their chitchat refused to cease, and I was preparing myself to leave. I didn't care if seemed rude, all I knew was that I could only take so much of an overexcited Lissa going on about Adrian's big day. And as their merriment and laughter continued, my gaze met Rose's. She looked at me and her eyes seemed to apologise. I nodded at her in a feeble attempt to reassure her that all was fine, without uttering a word. At that, she broke into a full smile, the first genuine one I had seen on her face in a long time, and I couldn't help grinning back at her. I don't know what in our lives was happy enough to make us do that, but in that instant, it just felt good, comforting even. It was innocent, yet incredible.

As the moments flew by, I realised how much of an outsider I had become. The banter went on without me, even though I was sitting right there. Everyone had given up on trying to get me to talk, and rightfully so. Lissa was too preoccupied with planning her best friend's wedding and the others were chipping their suggestions in. Even Adrian had stopped glancing at me and was staring fixedly at something outside the window, all the while hiding his thoughts from me. Rose was the only one smiling at me. She was the only one who acknowledged my presence, the only one who still cared. And foolishly enough, the only one I had pushed away.

**Did you like it ? I hope you did . Please let me know what you thought about the chapter . Did you like Rose and Dimitri's little moment at the end ? Thank you for sticking with the story and your support . Please do not forget to review . I always love to hear what you all have to say . Let me know what you think should and will happen . So , until next time … Enjoy and Keep Reading . :D :D . . **


	22. Chapter 20

**Hey everyone, I know it has been a very long time since I have last updated and I sincerely apologise for that; but, here is the next chapter. It is fairly long, so I hope you all like it, and that it helps you to forgive me for not updating. **

**Thank you to all the readers who have been reading this story since the very first chapter. I cannot thank you guys enough for your motivation and kind words. I will not keep you all waiting any longer. So here is your next chapter. Keep Reading. Enjoy. :D :D . . **

**Rose's POV **

Today is a glorious day. It is bound to be. After all, how could it not? We were finally going to go back to our regular lives this very day. After all these days and so many events, I can go back to my room at Court and take some time off from all the drama and pretense. Perhaps, I could have a few éclairs at the café down the street from my apartment and sit there pretending like everything was ok with the world. And to have all of that, I had only one obstacle to overcome, the closing dinner that was to take place tonight. And by tonight I mean in the daylight, on the vampiric schedule, of course.

It was an event of notable fanfare, second only to the programme that was held on the first day. Every Moroi; royal and non – royal alike , and every Dhampir would be there; and my reward for suffering through all of that will be the ability to go back to Court.

The shower I took this evening was better than any I had ever taken. The nearly scalding water seemed to wash away all the problems that had been plaguing me for who knows how long. Getting out of the shower I donned my uniform for the night. Despite all of Adrian's attempts at making me wear a dress for the occasion, I had stuck to my guns. He had even gone onto get a dress tailored for me, but I am nothing if not adamant, and therefore, there I was.

I poured some coffee out for myself and stepped out into the balcony. It was pretty late into our night, and therefore, the horizon had begun to light up. The hue of the beautiful, transforming sky was mesmerising and it brought back memories of the last time I had witnessed the day break. It was when Adrian had proposed.

I placed my mug on the ledge of the balcony and clasped my hands together as the nippy breeze began to pick up. I felt the ring on my finger and began playing with it. The feeling of the ring was finally beginning to blend in, to the point that it no longer felt alien on my finger, but a part of it. Was this what life was like? Were all kinds of change, as life – altering as they may seem have seemed at the moment, destined to become second – nature to us all?

Throughout the period of my pedestrian musings, the Sun had progressed through its course and was now a clear entity on the horizon. It was beauty indescribable, and I chuckled to myself when it struck me that the last time I had seen the Sun rise, I had thought my life had changed; who knew what this new dawn would bring?

But, I was broken out of my reverie by the sound of the balcony door sliding open and of quiet footsteps that came to halt right beside me. A nearly empty glass of clear liquid was placed on the ledge next to my comparatively innocent coffee mug.

" Beautiful morning, isn't it? Or should I say dusk, little dhampir?" a smoky voice chortled from beside me.

I looked into his green eyes and smiled. " I prefer morning. I, for one, do not mind a little bit of Sun. You guys are the ones set on keeping me within walls during daylight hours….. Nevertheless, it certainly is a remarkable sight. "

" Brings back memories, doesn't it?. But, I don't have to worry about the Sunset because I have this extremely remarkable sight right in front of me, here in my arms." He said wrapping his arms slowly around my waist and pulling me closer. " And I do apologise, on behalf of all Moroi kind for keeping you trapped indoors during the day."

I laughed. It was moments like these that reminded me how much I loved Adrian; and these very moments that left me feeling guilty. But, seeing how today promised to be a marvellous day, I pushed such thoughts aside and said, " No need for apologies, Adrian. You know that I am just doing my job."

" Have I ever told you that you have a tendency of taking your job too seriously? You have learn how to let loose once in a while, little dhampir. You should learn to be a little more like me." And he quickly added when he noticed me open my mouth for a snide retort. " Fine. You are far too better than me, happy? No arguments about that. But, if you are complaining about the lack of Sun in your life, I bet you are looking forward to the car trip we are going to take back home later today."

" Ah yes. The car trip. There is nothing I look forward to more in this world than being stuck inside a car with you, Christian and the lot, and not to mention your non – existent sense of humour."

" You can keep saying that about Christian, little dhampir; but I know you think I have a killer stash of jokes up my sleeve." He chuckled.

" Yeah, keep dreaming as much as you want." I slapped his shoulder in joviality. " Plus, I am getting late for duty. I have to go. You can pretty yourself up, or whatever it is that you do and come by later with the other guests." I said while leaving the Sunrise and our glasses behind and going into the bedroom.

" What is Rose Hathaway if not the slightest bit unpunctual? By the way, I still don't understand why you can't just come with me as a guest. Your dress still awaits you, you know." He followed me into the room.

" I already told you, Adrian. That is because I am on duty. By the way, there is only so much of conceited, " royal" banter that I can tolerate. I assure you, I'd much rather stand against the walls keeping an eye on everything than be seated amidst melodrama."

" That is still not good enough reason to abandon me with them."

" It doesn't have to be." I said, looking at my reflection in the floor – length mirror and straightening my uniform. As plain as it may be, wearing the Guardian uniform always filled me with pride. It made me feel like a part of a bigger, much grander scheme. Sadly, this was something Adrian would never understand. To him, I would always be silly for passing up on the exquisite dresses that were lying unattended in my closet.

Once I was happy with my appearance, and with that of my attire, I proceeded to take my ring off my finger and place it in the jewellery box that Lissa that had gifted me some time ago. I saw something cross Adrian's features as he regarded me in the mirror, and after a long pause on his part, he said.

" Sweetie, I have been thinking. Umm…. Do you think that it is time that we actually come out in front of everyone? You know, about …." He pointed to the ring I had placed on the dresser. He seemed nervous, as if treading unexplored waters. And I guess, it was true to some extent because this was an issue we had pretty much evaded ever since we got engaged.

I kept silent and let him go on. He took the queue and said, " We are going to announce some time or the other anyways and I don't think that we are going to get a better chance than tonight. I mean, everyone is going to be there. And you know how much I want to see my father's flabbergasted face when we announce it, right?" He added, in a feeble attempt at lightening up the sudden tension that had built up between us.

" Yeah, of course. But, I don't know if this is the best of times for such a big step, Adrian." Trying to tread as lightly as I could manage.

" There is no time like the present, Rose. Otherwise, we will always keep putting it off. All you have to d- "

" Not now, please. I really am getting late." I said, cutting him off.

He ran his hands through his hair, the harbinger of his frustration. " You always keep saying that. It's not that hard, you know. All you have to do is just keep the ring on. I'll even do all the talking."

" I _will _, just not today. Now, if you would please let me go." I said affirmably and made my way toward the door when he grabbed my shoulder to stop me and I heard Adrian's weary voice rise.

" You always keep saying that, Rose. Always. It's almost like you _want _it to remain a secret all your life; like you never want anyone to know. It has been like this ever since if you haven't noticed. "

I paused in my tracks. He hadn't spoken the very words, but his meaning rang loud between us. Was I ashamed? No, certainly not. Why would I be? I wanted it to remain a secret, yes; but only for the time being. Not forever. That is ridiculous. I will eventually want to announce our engagement to the world, right? Just not now.

" I know, Adrian. And I am sorry for that. But, this is a very big leap we are about to make and I need time to wrap my head around it."

" I am asking you to wear your ring in public, I am not telling you to come with me to Vegas and get married this instant. I honestly don't see how I can make things easier for you." I did not move. I stayed there with my back towards him and sneered in a low voice.

" Maybe you could try by not talking right now and letting me get on with my job. I actually have to work for money, unlike some people I know."

" Yes, of course." His voice rose louder, dripping with derision. " Blame me for my money and then storm out of the room. That is very original, Rose. Definitely something I have never seen before." The mockery in his voice made my blood boil. I clenched my fists, refraining from throwing something at him. Then, I slowly turned around to face my fiancé .

" Of course it is jolly fun for _you. _You are the golden boy, no one is going to say a word about you. I am going to be the one who is ridiculed."

With that, something in his expression softened. He pursed his lips for a second before continuing, " I know this is going to create a fair bit more than ripples, but it is nothing we both can't take on, Rose."

" More than ripples? That is putting it way too lightly, Adrian. This is going to be beyond scandalous. The Queen's favourite nephew and a good – for – nothing, loud – mouthed, gold – digging whore are getting married. But, you are right. It is nothing I can't handle. After all, I have been called much worse. But, all I am asking is not right now. I need time to digest all of this. A lot has happened in a very short amount of time and I need some time to wrap my head around them." I rambled, struggling to control my voice that was now trembling with rage.

I felt the fury rise up in me, and I knew I had to get out before I did something I would regret later on. How could he not understand? Did he honestly think everything was smooth sailing for me? That I was just gliding from one moment to the next without a care in the world. The past few months have been the most gruelling months of my life, and I am still waiting for the slightest semblance of a break from all of that.

" I am sorry if you can't understand it, Adrian. But, at the moment all I am asking of you is to wait." I said with my hand on the door knob. I had opened it and was about to step out into the fresh air when I heard Adrian from behind me.

" More time. Hah. I have done a lot of waiting, and I suppose a little more won't kill me." He snorted. "Looks like patience is turning out to be my greatest virtue."

With that I walked out into the open, slamming the door behind me. I breathed in the crispy air and relished the open spaces of the outdoors and the change it provided from the toxic atmosphere within.

**Did you like it? What do you think? Let me know about your opinions by leaving a review of the chapter. Any and all comments are welcome, as well as suggestions and theories regarding the upcoming chapters. **

**So, rifts are beginning to form between Rose and Adrian. Are they the innocent ones that cause even the happiest of couples to bicker or are they something more serious? Don't forget to let me know what you think. The future chapters are going to have a lot of action as well as emotion in them, so keep reading. Enjoy. :D :D . . **


	23. Chapter 21

**Hey everyone. I know it has been a long time and I apologise, but the good news is that the story is reaching its end and you all will know what is going to happen to Rose, Adrian and Dimitri. :D …. I will not keep you waiting any longer. So, keep reading and enjoy ….. :D :D . . **

I pretended not to notice as Rose strolled into the hall for duty, and tried to do so when she walked up right next to me and took her position. It was a cruel joke that the Guardian roster seemed to be playing on us by placing us next to each other. But, considering that our charges were always in such close contact and our duties, therefore, were practically identical, it was to be expected. The Guardians didn't care about the emotional turbulence of our personal lives; they simply looked at the facts and figures and created the rosters. If it didn't suit you, then it was your problem.

And it certainly was an issue for me because I didn't know what to say to her. So, after a polite smile I fixed my gaze straight ahead, and she attended to her cell phone which was ringing off the hook. It was a first when it came to Rose and I; we had never really been at a loss for words around each other, even after the drama that had gone down between us. But, today was different.

Having caused her so much heartache, I had planned on keeping away from her as much as possible and not to come in between the recently engaged couple. But, that didn't seem like an option; it was too hard to carry out. I couldn't even imagine a life without Rose in it anymore. It is remarkable to see how things have changed over the course of time, how my priorities have changed ….

And now that I could practically smell the vanilla of her skin, maintaining distance was no longer an option.

" You should probably go ahead and pick up the phone, you know. Adrian feels really agitated right now." I told her.

" Well, maybe he should. I really don't want to talk to him." She replied in an irate tone, but I caught a hint of sadness flash across her face as she stared at Adrian's name blinking on her cell phone. She seemed so upset and all I wanted to do was reach across and hold her in my arms, comforting her. But instead, unsure of the entire situation, I settled for, " Roza, are you OK? I know this is your business but I have never seen you both get this worked up about a quarrel. Is everything alright? For what it's worth, he probably wants to apologise if you just talked to him."

She lightly nodded her head without any sign of conviction and said, " Well, if you know so much about him, why don't you tell him to stay off my case for a while?"

" I wish I could, but I am probably the last person he will take any kind of advice from."

She threw her cell phone onto the table behind her with significant force, and burying her face in her hands, she let out a strangled sigh. " When did everything become so complicated? I honestly have no idea how to proceed from here." She leaned back against the table. As she poured out her confusion, her right hand absent - mindedly caressed her ring - less finger on her left hand which somehow felt more familiar to me. Having noticed that, the topic of their argument was no longer a mystery to me, but what did surprise me was the frank statement she made after that .

" Adrian wants to announce our engagement. And he wanted to do it today." She turned towards me, clearly expecting a reaction. I deliberated over the ordeal, and hiding my surprise I began slowly, " Well, that doesn't seem so bad. From the way you were acting I thought - ….. That doesn't matter, I digress. But, coming back to the point, isn't it something you want to do too, Roza? I mean, I know I would want to, not that it matters."

" That's the problem. I no longer know what I want. I know I sound so whiny right now, but trust me, you don't know how I fe-" She stopped short as she noticed my gaze flicker towards my bondmate who had just spotted us over the crowd and was striding our way.

" Belikov. Always a pleasure." was his curt greeting. His demeanour softened as he turned to Rose and said, " Can I talk to you for a second, Rose?"

" Look, Adrian I already told yo-"

" No, no. I agree. Let's not delve into all that at the moment. Why don't you join me to this lovely dinner that has been arranged here?" I had slowly moved away, taking a position a little way off to give them some privacy. I honestly did not want to hear any sweet talk that might ensue their imminent " making up". But unfortunately, too much seemed to be seeping in through the bond and something told me it was not entirely unintentional.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rose wave to Lissa who had just entered the hall. They both began to make their way over to her when Rose stopped short and headed towards me instead. I looked at her questioningly.

" Comrade, don't forget to come to the meeting right after the dinner. It's in the East Wing now. It's the final venue after they changed it a million times. OK? We're going to get the schedule for the departure today. Finally, right?" she chuckled.

" Yeah. It really is about time. I'll see you later then. Have fun." she smiled at this and left. I stared after her and chastised myself for the irritation Adrian's arm around her waist sparked within me.

_Calm down, Belikov. You're better than that. You have been in much more pressing situations, this should not be the one to break you ….. You are better than this. _ I regurgitated in my mind over and over again. But, one question flashed across my mind and left me wondering. _Was I really better than this? Or was it merely something I liked to tell myself?_ …...

**Did you like it? Please let me know what you think in your reviews. I love to hear from you all. I would also like to thank all those of you who have stuck with this story and have continued to like it and support me through your reviews. **

**I really hope you like the story and tell me what you think about the angst and frustration that all three of the main characters are experiencing. So, until next time. Keep reading and enjoy …. :D :D . . **


	24. Chapter 22

**Hey everyone. I want to thank you for your reviews and suggestions. I love to hear them so keep them coming …. LOL …. I won't keep you guys waiting any longer for the chapter so here it is …... Keep Reading and Enjoy ….. :D :D . . **

** Rose's POV **

" There are too many people here. Hold my hand. The faster we get out of here, the faster we get home. I'm sick of this place." said Christian, taking my hand in his and pulling me toward the exit to the hall. The closing dinner had just gotten over and everyone seemed to be only too eager to leave. Guess, we weren't the only ones.

I nodded and increased my pace. We were snaking through the crowd in a painfully slow pace when I heard my name being called.

" Vasilisa, hold on a moment. I would like to have a word with you." I turned to find none other than our host, Lord Joshua Badica, waving to us with a smile on his face.

" Here we go again." whispered Christian. " Make it fast, please."

I rolled my eyes and turned to reciprocate Lord Badica's smile while in my mind I felt like making a run for it.

With a polite nod at Christian he began, " It's nice to see you, Vasilisa. I hope you enjoyed the dinner."

" Oh, it was marvellous. I'm sure everyone did."

" That's good. That's good. Good to know that after all these years I still know how to throw a party." he laughed at his own joke, and out of courtesy I did too. " It's a shame though we didn't get to sit and chat in the past few days. Things have a been a bit busy. I might have a proposition for your bright future young lady. Would you care to discuss it over some fine champagne? That is if you are not in a hurry, of course."

Saying yes and leaving was far too tempting, and obviously not an option for such interactions. Therefore, I said, " I would love to join you."

" Splendid. This way my dear. I'm sure you will quite excited once you hear what I have to say." He went on and I barely caught a glimpse of a scowling Christian before I pulled myself out of Lissa's mind.

" Ugh. She went off with some old fellow who apparently has a lot to talk about. Who knows how long they're going to take." I flopped down on the couch. " This is just great. Now, I get to " assist" the other royals in packing their bags and what not instead of leaving this stupid place."

" Calm down, Rose. At least, we know where they both are. I thought there was going to be a stampede out there when we lost sight of them in the crowd. I'm sure they'll be back soon." said Amy who was always the optimist. Even though we hadn't known each other well before, I had come to like her over the duration of this trip. On the surface, she may seem to be the calm and timid type, but believe me, she wasn't at all with her friends. Plus, she was certainly a fierce opponent in a fight. And with all the crap that was going on in my life, spending time with her during duty proved to be incredibly relaxing.

" So, other than Sparky and his girlfriend, everyone should be ready. We are going to leave as soon as they get back. I should not see anyone packing at that time. Yeah, I'm talking about you Adrian. No last minute hair product packing. Got it?" I teased.

Adrian jolted his head in my direction with mild surprise on his face which he masked quickly with a lazy smile. " Yeah. Yeah." he waved the comment off. I guess, he wasn't expecting much humour directed towards him from me, but I thought it best to resolve matters instead of prolonging the conflict.

" We should probably get going." said Amy and we both left for duty at the gates.

The hours flew by and the most of the cars had been dispersed by now, leaving more of the beautiful gardens empty, open to appreciation. It was astonishing how the same place could feel more serene with only the noise reduced.

As the Sun was half - way on it's journey towards the west Dimitri appeared with a much harrowed look on his face. " Do you have any idea where Lissa and Christian are? It's getting very late. Almost all the Moroi are gone and the Sun is going to set in a matter of hours. We need to get back to Court by the time it does."

" Well, considering that she kinda feels relieved right now, I'm willing to bet that they are to show up soon. Are Mikhail and Amy good to go?"

" Don't worry about them. Worry about the fact that I don't think it's safe for us to embark upon the road trip today. If you ask me, it's already too late, Rose."

I contemplated his implication and he was right. It might get a bit too risky for us to be on the road after sunset with no wards to keep any lurking Strigoi away. But, we would be in motion the whole time, which reduces the likelihood of an attack by a huge margin. Still, a lot was at stake. I had checked on them through the bond a while ago and from her surroundings it seemed that they had been granted access to the private suite of Lord Badica. It wasn't something either Christian or Lissa thrilled about. Nor was I. Partly because Lissa was just too nice to get up and leave.

" I hate to admit it but you're probably right. Although, I'm not sure how everyone is going to react to that." I glanced down at my watch. " We still might have a shot, don't you think?"

" If you are willing to take the risk." he paused and smiled. " Then again, of course you are."

" You know me too well." I chuckled. " I have to go take care of the East wing. Just so you know we are to meet directly at the front gates in case you come across those two before I do."

He merely nodded and left, and I went back to duty.

Turns out Lissa was on her way and none of them took the idea of staying over one more night well. I was used to Christian whining about every single thing but coming from Lissa, it sounded foreign.

" Please, Joshua just wouldn't stop and he went on and on about how much potential I had and the greatness I could achieve if I knew the right people. I'm sorry but I couldn't just tell him to shut up. He's a nice old man. Let's leave today, please."

" Yeah, otherwise he might catch you tomorrow for more " propositions"." Christian warned. "I love you, Lissa, but the next time he has something to say, you are on your own."

" I don't know if it's such a good idea, Lissa." I tried to sound firm but her pleading eyes made me rethink. Would it really be that bad if we left immediately? I mean, how much could possibly go wrong during the drive?

" Maybe we could leave right now. I'm sure we could make it before sunset. Besides, the previous car left not too long ago. They couldn't possibly have gone that far. We'll just arrive a few minutes after they do I guess." piped in Mikhail and was joined by Amy and the rest. Apparently, they had succumbed to Lissa's pleas. Dimitri and I were the only ones still contemplating. The previous car argument was kind of moot because I personally didn't trust what might have been bad judgement by the guardians in that car. But, when I noticed Dimitri look at me, I knew he had succumbed too.

" Ugh. Just get in the car, you jerks. No more delays." I said, finally giving up.

_Thanks, Rose. I owe you one... _ran through my mind and I smiled at Lissa.

So, the three Moroi settled into the middle seat quickly, owing to the threats I was making and I heaved a sigh of relief when Dimitri finally started the engine and we drove off, away from the Estate . Being seated at the back, I watched as the mansion grew smaller and smaller against the horizon that was now slightly tinged in orange.

The car filled with banter almost immediately as the radio began playing and I slouched back into my seat. Something told me that this day promised to be a very long one .

**Did you like it? Let me know what you think will happen next. And how long will their day actually be? I would love to hear your speculations . So , until next time …. Keep Reading and Enjoy ….. :D :D . . **


	25. Chapter 23

**Hey everyone, here is a long and action – packed chapter for all of you. I hope you like it. Thank you for all the reviews and encouragement. They really make my day. :D ….. I will not keep you guys waiting any longer, so here is your next chapter . Keep reading and enjoy ….. :D :D . . **

**Adrian's POV **

Rose tucked a loose strand of her hair as I watched her through the rearview mirror hanging in the front of the car. With her head rested on the glass, she had barely moved in the past few minutes. She looked tired and deep in thought, and only Amy's sudden, shrill laugh made me tear my eyes away from Rose and stare out of the window instead.

The cheery banter in the car, which had become exhausting hours ago, showed no sign of ceasing, and as I looked outside, the orange hue of the horizon did nothing to lessen the noise.

The highway could be called deserted by all means, except for the occasional bike that would speed past us into the distance. And it had probably been a good half an hour since we had last seen one of these. Mr. No – Breaking – the – Rules driving the car was not helping matters either; he made me want to jump out of the window and try to chase one of those bikes just for some kind of an adrenaline rush. Perhaps, now you can get a picture of how dull this journey really was.

But, as I continued to admire the sunset on this abandoned country road, it reminded me more and more of the day I had proposed to Rose. The Sun had a similar sheen, if not brighter, on that day; and in that moment, Rose had seemed genuinely happy, and in that, so was I. It was a shame, that the moment we walked out of the garden, the other aspects of our lives came crashing down on us, and had gradually changed so much between us.

I looked back at Rose for an instance and sighed. Even her solemn posture seemed to indicate that we stood worlds apart now.

But, was it so detestable of me to have hope? Was it so unrealistic? I knew she loved me, I did. She could have convinced everyone, even herself, but her aura would have given it away; everyone's was bound to. There are only so many things that one can control. So, knowing this , was I still so off base? So pathetic? I loved her. And that was enough for me to make me want to spend the rest of my life with her. But, apparently it wasn't enough for her.

Nothing ever was.

To keep myself from wallowing in my misery, I reached out to the duffel bag lying at my feet and pulled out an already opened bottle of something I really needed right now, and took a swig. The moment of the all too welcome warmth flowing down my throat was disrupted by none other than Christian Ozera.

"Really. Adrian? You keep that stuff handy?"

" Hey, I am just well – prepared for being stuck in a car with you, that's all. You can't blame for that." I shrugged and took another gulp. " Fancy a sip? I can tell you want it."

He seemed hesitant, but his eyes gave away his desire. He had spent far too long a time listening to old Badica go on and now he was here in the ultimate car ride of Ennui. Yes, with a capital "E".

He finally succumbed to my offer and reached out his hand, but not without an act of nonchalance.

" You can tell, huh? How so?" he snorted.

" Just another one of my amazing powers."

" Yeah, your talent astounds me." He replied with a grunt as he proceeded to gulp down _my_ " beverage" without shame.

From then on the bottle was passed around. Only to the Moroi, mind it. The guardians were too dutiful and declined it time and time again. And by Moroi, I mean just Christian and I; Lissa was not inclined to the idea of drinking so early in our day. So, that meant more alcohol for us, and I have to say I didn't mind that at all.

It was funny and rather ironic how alcohol, an elixir renowned for wiping out memories and other sad notions, couldn't prevent my eyes from wandering back to Rose.

By now she had gone back to leaning into her seat, ignoring the goings – on of the car, even though earlier she had let slip a few discrete glances of disapproval at the bottle being passed back and forth. I knew how she felt. I knew that it was not to her liking. But, by this point, I couldn't care. I needed something to keep my mind off her. To my chagrin, not even that was working.

But, that was before Lissa's fevered shriek made my heart stop. Christian even dropped the remnants of the vodka on his shirt due to his now – unstable hands. Her eyes were livid and she was yelling out loosely strung sentences while jumping in her seat.

She went into a complete frenzy with her gaze fixed at something at the side of the road in the distance. I could barely make out what it was from my seat in the opposite side of the car but I did understand from what Lissa was yelling.

" The Moroi …. They're alive in the car wreck ….. We have to- …. I can see their auras ….. We have to save them from the Strigoi ….. Please, we have to ….."

In all the time I had known Lissa, I had never seen her like this. She went into a complete frenzy and kept repeating more or less these same lines until they blended into each other.

And her panic was more contagious than any disease in the world and swept through us in a matter of seconds. It was like a bucket of cold water being splashed on my head and I tried to keep up with the guardians who seemed to be completely on alert right now.

They had already begun discussing their options, especially after Rose concluded with a nauseated expression on her face, " Yeah, Lissa's right. There are Strigoi; and from what I can tell, quite a few of them." Belikov seemed to have reached a similar conclusion from the shadow – kissed abilities of his own .

" We have to help them, Rose. Please. I can see their auras fading. One of them is a Spirit user; I can see the golden tinge. Please, do something."

" I don't know whether we should get their lives in danger." Mikhail consulted the other guardians about getting us in the cross fires, completely ignoring Lissa.

" You have to, Mikhail. One of them is dying right now. The aura is waning. Tell them, Adrian; you can see it too, can't you? Oh forget it. You're drunk off your ass, you idiot."

Ignoring her, I tried to focus on the crashed car we were nearing. There did seem to be a lot movement out there, near the trees. I spotted a ghostly pale body lying near the overturned car and soon enough, saw a single guardian trying to ward off the attackers. I tried harder to use Spirit to be able to see if anyone was stuck in the car, but Lissa was right, I was too drunk to use my abilities.

The wreck got closer very quickly, and before I realised, Belikov drove our car into the nearest Strigoi. And just like that, we were plunged into action.

The dhampirs jumped out instantly and began acting upon some non – verbal plan that they had with only a passing warning from Amy to us, " Do not get out of the car. Stay put."

I barely heard this because I was preoccupied with watching Rose dive right into the fight. There was a certain grace to her movements, to all of theirs, as they moved into what seemed like a band of four Strigoi. From what I could tell, the mishap had occurred only a short while ago and the guardian who had survived it had done a fine job at warding off the Strigoi since then.

The heat of battle rose as I realised that the Strigoi must have been very advanced in age, making them more formidable and much harder to kill. But, I was distracted when I heard a broken moan come from the overturned car which lay not too far from us. I looked to it and noticed the slightest of movements there. And seeing Lissa clinging to Christian, who had by now begun to gingerly light up a few Strigoi in his intoxicated state, in my periphery, I remembered about the Moroi she had been talking about.

I don't know what possessed me in that moment, what I was thinking; perhaps I wasn't at all. But, I took one look at the guardians fighting on the other side and jumped out of the car to run over to the wrecked one, ignoring Christian's attempt to stop me.

The car looked like a turtle on its back and I guess, I should have been thankful that the engine hadn't caught fire already. I was shocked to be met with a woman's bloody body when I peeped in through one of the broken windows. I reached out my hand, trying to feel her pulse at the neck, but couldn't pick up any. I held my hand over her mouth in a vain attempt at detecting any form of breathing. I didn't need Spirit any more, her empty eyes told me that her aura had faded completely.

That was when I heard another pained groan. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the battered vehicle and I began to run over to the other side. The body of a few dhampirs, possibly their other guardians, lay there with parts of their throats ripped out. I tried to block that image out of my mind as I tried my best to stay hidden from the monsters long enough to help the person stuck inside this car. And when I crouched down on the ground, I saw a boy, no older than five years, with blood running down his face.

" Just stay calm in there. I'm here to help you. OK?" I called out to him, not knowing whether he was conscious enough to hear me.

The earlier burning of the Strigoi had ceased by now; the stupid alcohol must have drained Christian already.

I looked around the place in search of something that would help me budge the car or even pry open part of a door enough to make space for the boy, but I was met with dirt and grass. I noticed, to my utmost horror, that the number of Strigoi fighting had increased but surprisingly, so had the number of their dead bodies. Were there more Strigoi where they came from? The Sun had completely gone down by now, leaving us completely vulnerable if there were more of the undead lurking nearby. Who knows how long it would take their noses to pick up the scent of this much spilt blood?

In my frantic effort to get the boy out, I even tried to push the car to make room, but my lack of physical strength prevented me from accomplishing anything. And after a few more vain attempts, I realised that would never work nor would I be able to find anything useful, so I went back to the boy and held out me hand, hoping he was in a position to squirm around and miraculously wiggle out .

" Don't be afraid, everything is going to be alright." I said with the ghost of a smile. " Here, take my hand and try to make some room to get out."

He was trying to wiggle out but he did not seem to have much leeway. I was about to get up and try to push the car again like an idiot when Mikhail's sudden hand on my shoulder made me jump out of my bones.

" Get back in the car. We have to get you all out of here right now."

" But, there is a boy stuck inside. We need to do something." I was pleading by this point. We couldn't just leave him in there, could we?

He looked at the car when Rose appeared, supporting the other guardian who was drenched in blood.

" No, _you're_ not doing anything. Get inside the car now. I'll see what I can do." He ordered.

" I ca- "

" You heard him, Adrian. Go. Now." barked Rose. Her face left no doubt that she wouldn't entertain any further arguments on the matter. I headed back to the car swiftly, although hesitant, when Belikov's voice was heard from a little way off.

" Get out of here now, all of you. Call for reinforcements." His words may have addressed us all, but you could tell that they were directed especially at Rose. He wanted her out of here, no matter what; and despite the dislike I felt towards him, even I could acknowledge the valour behind that gesture.

Mikhail looked up from the wreck and nodded determinedly, but Rose barely moved at all. I could see that she had a gash across her left hand peeking through her blood – soaked sleeve, but it didn't seem to bother her at all. She just looked at Belikov and opened her mouth to say something.

" But –"

" No, Roza. Get in the car and don't stop driving until all of you are safely behind wards. We'll try to hold them off for as long as we can. Considering the speed a Strigoi has, we don't want them following your car and causing more problems before your engine can pick up a good speed. Please, just go." He was pleading by the end of the sentence. Rose thought for a second and nodded curtly, helping the guardian make his way back to our car.

Rose handed the injured guardian over to Lissa who had already been making futile attempts at healing an unconscious Christian, and ran back to help Mikhail rescue the little boy. And now that I was not behind the overturned vehicle anymore, I had a clearer view of what was happening. And it was nothing short of a blood bath.

Belikov had resumed fighting alongside Amy, who looked like she had taken quite a few hits herself. And the rest were just Strigoi. They were the only two left standing and I prayed, for the first time in God knows how long, that more Strigoi would not show up.

After what felt like an eternity, Rose and Mikhail emerged from behind the wreck with the little boy and jumped into the car, with Rose behind the driving wheel. She took one last deep breath with the key in the ignition and sped off onto the highway.

The initial jerk of the car starting made me jolt back into the seat and I stayed put, trying to avert my eyes from the horror that we were running away from. To my surprise, I wanted to go back. I wanted to help in any way possible and I didn't even know why. I had never had much faith in myself, no one ever did. And in all these years, whenever I had imagined a battle situation, I had always been certain that I would have been the first person to high tail out of the place. And that is why; this feeling came as a surprise to me. Hell, I had even been proven ineffective in the previous Strigoi attack, the one where my bond with Belikov had been forged; and it pained me now to think that I will not be able to save neither him nor Amy back there. I most certainly and truly was powerless in a fight. A mere liability.

I was broken out of my reverie when I felt the car come to a sudden halt. I looked around, half – expecting to have Strigoi jump at me in a second, but nothing of the sort happened. In my confusion, I looked at the driver's seat and found Rose, shaking her head and mumbling something. Her knuckles were white from how tight she was gripping the wheel, and I knew something was very wrong.

" What happened, Rose? Did we run out of fuel?" asked Lissa, but Rose didn't seem to hear her. A few moments later, she bit her lip as if concluding a war that was going on in her head and finally made her mumblings audible.

" No. No, I can't do it." She said with conviction, all the while shaking her head incessantly as if trying to contradict what she knew Mikhail would say.

" Why are you stopping here?" asked Mikhail, trying to calm her down enough to get an answer.

" I have to go back. I am going back." She said frantically, swinging the door open.

Realisation, that had not had yet dawned on me, flashed across Mikhail's face and he began, " Rose, they are going to be fine. He is –"

" I don't know, I don't know. I can't just run away like this. Don't you get it? I can't just stand by and let him die again." And with that she leaped out of the car and shut the door. " Take the wheel, Mikhail. Get to safety."

She stood next to the car as Mikhail complied, with her stake ready in her hand. Her hair was untamed and even in the Moonlight, one could see the sweat glistening on her skin.

Just as the engine began to rumble and we were taking off, she chanced a glance at me and her apologetic eyes told me everything.

" Be careful, Rose." Said Mikhail as he began driving off, but Rose didn't pay attention. She simply looked at me with remorse; and after what felt like an eternity, she mouthed the words "I'm sorry" and she sped off towards the battle we had left. I didn't know what to think. My mind was truly blank and this time, it was not the alcohol's fault. I felt a tug at my heart, of an intensity I had never felt before, as I watched my Rose run off in the opposite direction as me; run right out of my life.

**Did you like it? Please review and tell me what you think about Rose's choice. I would love to hear from you? **

**Do you think Rose made the right decision? How do you think things will pan out? Let me know. Until next time ….. Keep Reading and Enjoy … :D :D ….. **


	26. Chapter 24

**I apologise for the long delay, and I know it sounds old by now, but I really am terribly sorry. Here, is a much needed update before the new year commences. I hope this year brings joy and merriment for all of you and your families out there. Happy Holidays ! :D :D . . **

**Dimitri's POV **

There is a certain peace amidst chaos, and even while you are fighting for your own life or for the life of someone you care, your mind tries to cling to the bleakest fragment of relief in order to distract you from the prospect of your impending doom .

Needless to say , I have been in many a battle in my lifetime , and my life has flashed before my eyes far too many times already , but just this once , while warding off Strigoi on a lone country road , the thought of Rose having left this treacherous site was the only thing that soothed my heart enough to let me focus on the battle at hand . I chastise myself now for getting so carried away but I don't think that I would have been able to control such thoughts , because in those moments of fierce fighting , all I could think of was her security .

Having said this, you can very well imagine the horror I felt when I saw Rose materialise in the distance, sprinting towards us with determination etched on her face .

In a moment of careless hesitation , while my slow brain tried to process this scene , I received a potent kick to my stomach , requiring me to recover quickly while Amy held my attacker off . But, the physical recovery was just half of it .

" What on earth are you doing here? I thought I told you all to get going." I yelled at her , dodging a punch aimed at my face .

It probably wasn't the best of times to ask anything of her considering how she immediately had to duck out of the way of an incoming punch. It was from a particularly aged Strigoi, judging by his attire, and both Rose and Amy had been working on cornering him and a partner of his for some time now .

At least the odds were better there than what I was facing . At some point during the fight , the group of Strigoi must somehow have come to a conclusion that they should collectively try to take out the bigger of the two dhampirs , and that is why the other two Strigoi had been concentrating solely on me .

It was all a blur; dodging , kicking and punching, and to my chagrin , both of my attackers knew what they were doing .

" You know me, always ready to help . Aren't you excited to see me, Comrade?" asked Rose in a nonchalant manner, as if we all were sitting in the living room drinking coffee or something.

" That's not my point and you know it." I yelled back just as Rose was finishing off the Strigoi with the antiquated attire.

Moments later, when Rose had joined back, I saw Amy trying to move in to my aid and leave Rose with the other one that was left. One of my attackers, noticing my darting eyes, landed a sore kick to my shin and I felt my knees buckle. Seizing this opportunity and taking advantage of Amy being distracted by this , the other attacker of mine grabbed Amy by the shoulders and hurled her lithe body into the trees.

It all happened in a matter of seconds, yet it felt like hours. I saw her right arm contort and heard a crack in the air. I saw her hair flailing in midair as if screaming for help, and for one eerie moment, her face held mine and I gazed into her defeated eyes slowly fading away. And just like that , in a flash, Amy was out of sight; her body hidden somewhere among the trees.

Rose screamed and pounced on the Strigoi she had been dealing with, now more impatient than ever. As I was gaining momentum of my own, I saw Rose stake the damned monster and charge onto the one who had assaulted her friend. She was energised, she was unforgiving, she was vicious. Within minutes of such a display, and at the culmination of the ongoing fight of my own, Rose and I staked our respective nemeses almost in unison.

Rose was now hunched over on the ground, her chest heaving, as if she was preparing herself for her inevitable entry into the woods; preparing herself for what we both suspected lay there.

But, I clung onto hope; we still may be able to save Amy if we found her in time. So, I staggered slowly towards the forest, my steps faltering as the fading adrenaline gave rise to the aches and pains of my wounds.

" Amy." I called into the dark sky. " Where are you? Please just sa -" I ran and fell to my knees when I saw her mangled body lying among the undergrowth. The sight of several of her joints jutting out sickened me as I reached for her neck, praying to God that I be able to feel a pulse.

Nothing .

Nothing even as I held my palm in front of her nostrils to be reassured by even the faintest of breaths.

Nothing. Just silence in the forest.

Not even my painfully throbbing heart made a sound when I closed the eyes of a friend .

…...

The snapping of twigs nearby alerted me to Rose's arrival. I looked up at her and saw the lament in her eyes. She hurried forth and, falling to her knees, began to frantically pull Amy's arms from beneath her body and lay them as decently as she could as if that would rectify everything and hide the deathly aspect of it all.

Rose finally settled and stared at Amy; breathing heavily as she did. I shifted my weight moving away from her, from them, and after clearing my throat shakily said, " You should check to make sure that the others ar -"

" I already did." she cut me off and paused to gather her thoughts. " They haven't reached Court yet, but they should be safe. They're close. Mikhail also confirmed the dispatch of reinforcements. They should take some time though ; we literally are in the middle of nowhere." And just like that her voice had fallen back into its practised calmness. Although , one look at her and I could tell that she was far from being collected.

Hell, I was feeling the same way. This brought back too many memories for me, far too many. Amy was a friend, a dear friend and colleague. And to think that it could have been either of us lying cold on the forest floor; to think that it could have been Rose ….

With a jolt, Rose stood up and began to move deeper into the forest, her right hand clutching the bloodied stake.

" Rose. Come back." I called and ran after her.

" What on earth were you thinking?" I cried out , rather irritated , as I held her by her shoulders.

She pushed me away but didn't move forward.

" What are you talking about?" she asked.

" Why the hell did you come back? Are you crazy? Is something not working inside that head of yours?" I pretended to knock on her head. My voice rose the longer I thought about it.

She swatted my hand away and remained silent. But, I went on because I simply couldn't understand why she would do something as stupid as this. Not only did it give me unnecessary distress but she also left the Moroi with Mikhail alone. What if they had been attacked on their way? What if something had happened to Rose? Just thinking about the latter tugged at my heart. I pushed these thoughts to back of my mind; I wanted answers as to how she could have acted so foolishly.

" How could you have just left them like that with one guardian? I really don't get it, Rose. This is just careless of you. Not to mention that it goes against every single thing I have ever taught you." I rambled on and on and Rose maintained her uncharacteristic silence. I probably should have recognised it as the harbinger of an outburst, but in my defence, I was too agitated at that moment.

" Yes, I know what you taught me. I know what they all taught. _They come first. They come first. _I haven't forgotten anything. There was no way that you both could have fought all those Strigoi off by yourselves and I thought..." she paused amidst her tirade. " I thought that I would be of help. I just made a call, alright? A decision. I think I'm allowed that. Now can we please just let it go?"

She dabbed the torn, bloody sleeve of her shirt on her wounded arm . After moments of dabbing away with no positive result, she released the piece of cloth with disgust; a scowl marred her features. She seemed too nervous, jumpier than I'd ever seen her before, but I was too confounded to notice it at the time.

" I still don't get wh -"

" You both would have been dead, Dimitri. _You_ could have died as well . Why don't you understand that I couldn't possibly have let that happen again, Dimitri? I couldn't have let you die all over again." she exploded. " And now Amy's gone and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't do a thing."

As her words sunk in, she stood there breathing heavily. Her bottomless brown eyes bore into mine as if she had laid bare everything she had.

My mind barely had registered the first part of her sentence because the end startled me. I knew what it felt like; the guilt ate away at you and swallowed your entire being if you allowed it to. I couldn't let her go through that. I had to make her understand . So, after what felt like an eternity, I closed my eyes and inhaled. Then, I slowly began, " You can't blame yourself for what happened, Roza. I know it's hard but you can't let it get to you."

By now Rose had fixed her eyes at the ground. " But, she is dead. She is dead. It could have been anyone. It could have been you." She repeated herself under her breath, no longer speaking to me but to herself. I could barely hear her.

" You have to understand... I know what it feels like, Roza. I know all too well. You can't let it get to you. You can't blame yourself." Then in a moment of irrationality I snapped, "It's the very reason I wanted you to go away, Rose. It could as easily have been you."

" I can say that about you too , can't I ?" she murmured, biting her trembling lip.

If I had been puzzled before, I was truly confused now. Rose was sending far too many mixed messages for me to comprehend. I had come to terms with the fact that we were never going to be together but how was I supposed to process this?

" Roza, you need to stop worrying about things like this; stop worrying about me. You can't afford to because you have to perform your duties no matter what. You _have_ to protect Lissa first. Ugh, this is exactly what we were afraid of back at St. Vladimir's." I reasoned. " I try to protect you, Rose, and you just jump into a fight anyway. It's the least I can do for you considering that you and Ivashkov are getting ma -"

" I don't need to be protected, thank you. And no need to worry about Adrian either. I believe, that's not happening anymore."

This surprised me to no end, and although it produced more questions than answers I was ashamed at the little flutter of joy I felt at this. How could I feel happy in this grisly situation? How could I possibly feel so because of something that causes Rose distress?

I opened my mouth to say something but nothing escaped.

She began once again, " I can't marry him, it wouldn't be fair to go on as if everything is dandy. I tried to move on, Dimitri, I did for his sake. But, today when our car took off, leaving you and Amy behind, everything just flooded my memory. The caves, Russia, everything..." she drew in a deep breath. " And I don't think I can neglect that any longer , Dimitri." She swallowed before continuing, " I don't think I can disregard the feelings I have for y - "

That was all I needed. She had come back. For me. And although, I do not advocate the danger she put herself in , I couldn't just overlook her gesture. After months of anguish and heartache, I finally pulled her to myself and kissed her.

I have no words to describe the feeling of her kissing me back, her soft lips moving against mine. Despite the morbidity of our situation, despite the constant fear of death that was destined to loom over us, this was one moment we could truly enjoy. We were far from the restrictions and judgement of our society, far from anyone but ourselves, and in that gloomy, dark forest we were, for the first time in our lives, free .

**You have no idea how much I miss hearing from you guys. So, please review and tell what you think . :D :D . . **


	27. Chapter 25

** Hello ****everyone****. ****I ****am ****so****, ****so****, ****so ****sorry ****for ****the ****long ****wait****. ****I ****know ****you ****all ****hate ****me ****for ****it****. ****Don****'****t ****worry ****I ****despise ****myself ****for ****making ****you ****wait ****so ****long ****as ****well****. ****Therefore****, ****I ****will ****not ****hold ****you ****up ****any ****longer ****with ****my ****pathetic ****and ****incredibly ****inadequate ****apology****. :'( ****Here ****is ****the ****next ****chapter****. ****Keep ****reading ****and ****enjoy**** ….. :****D**** :****D**** …..**

**Dimitri****'****s ****POV**

I didn't switch on the light when I entered the bathroom. I took refuge in the darkness as I splashed my face with water, trying to wipe the images from my mind. Only now was my heart pacing more steadily, and my calmer breathing was a sure-shot sign of the nightmare having passed. Well, it wasn't exactly a nightmare. It just was something I would never want to witness.

Deciding to allow the water to cool my face a little longer, I left the bathroom with the little drops evaporating as they travelled down my face. It was quiet and I wanted to keep it that way. The moonlight poured through the windows in the corridor, lighting up my path, and I admired the beauty of this vampiric day.

" Are you OK ?" a calm voice startled me from the kitchen. I turned around and saw Rose in her pajamas, holding a tumbler of water. " It was Adrian, wasn't it ?" she asked, with a hint of understanding.

Without awaiting my response, she went into the kitchen and I proceeded behind her. Today was a well - deserved day off for both of us. The past week had been incredibly hectic and we had barely rested until we had collapsed into bed late last night.

Nonetheless , we had not exactly been working till that ungodly hour of the vampiric night; we had just decided to go out for a drink. One drink had then turned into two, which in turn, had turned into quite a few more. But, that is a story for another time. Any which way, I welcomed any opportunity to blur my thoughts for a while.

So yes, I had been drinking. Perhaps more than my usual share since the night that Amy died. It had brought back a lot of buried memories. The funeral was a play of the nerves for me, and from what I could tell, for Rose as well. We both had lost people we cared about before, and now, once more.

What worried me, however, was Rose for she had also taken a turn for the worse. A glance at her would reveal the same strong Guardian. Upon closer examination, however, the cracks were visible. She had taken to liquor of late, inspite of the fact that she had never really liked it before. First, it had begun with stocking up a liquor cabinet in the apartment since we didn't have one before. So, we bought some supplies upon her suggestion. Then, one after the other the content of the bottles began to diminish and then new bottles would take their place inconspicuously. Rose believed that I didn't notice this progression, and kept it up. Of course, who was I to say anything when I, myself, had trouble staying out of the very cupboard. I knew this had to stop; just not today.

" I have to say, I lucked out with Lissa. I used to think being inside her head was bad. Adrian must be driving you crazy, Comrade." she chuckled, grabbing a bottle of wine from the cabinet. My lips parted in protest but no words came out. Not today, I told myself. I needed the wine as much as she did.

" It's not that bad normally. I shouldn't have had so much to drink last ni-" I noticed her downing the last of her water and replacing it with some wine. She pushed another filled glass towards me. " You're a bad influence, you know Roza." I smiled in welcome for the inebriation that I knew would follow after a while.

" Now you know what you signed up for." she smirked. " Besides, you shouldn't be expected to abstain from alcohol because Adrian likes to romp around in the morning. What is it 11 o' clock now ? God, it's not even noon. Where does he get these girls ?" she laughed. I couldn't help but lighten up.

" Theses things are a bit erratic when it comes to Ivashkov. Nothing I can't handle though."

" Of course." she said, assembling a sandwich for herself. " Either way, it is good for him to get it out of his system. You know after how things went …." she trailed off. I knew what she meant very well.

Rose had had to break things off with Adrian. Shying away from the confrontation, she had been able to evade Adrian until the day of Amy's funeral. It was right after the ceremony that Rose had told Adrian what he knew was coming. While both of them had parted calmly on the surface, I knew exactly how each of them felt.

" I suppose it would seem so." The words slipped from my mouth as I was looking into my glass. I swirled the remnants of the tumbler when I heard Rose's curiosity pique.

" Seem so ? What do you mean, Dimitri ?"

I remained quiet and wondered whether to alter the truth a little bit or to bluntly tell her that her former fiance was thinking of _her_ as he " courted" his slew of random women.

" What is it ?" she prodded. Saying either of the two choices would not go well for me; if I lied, she would see through it in a heart beat, and if I said the truth, she would feel even more guilty and who knows what that could culminate into. So I decided to go with the more honest option.

I sighed. " He …. um …" I found it hard to find the words. " He still thinks about you. He is still in love with you, Roza."

I slowly raised my gaze and met her knowing one. I could see the guilt burdening her, creeping back into her head. She helped herself to some more wine.

" And he's back into his old habits ? The smoking and the drinking. right ?" she asked, almost to herself. The agitation was audible in her voice, and her anxiety was palpable. " Well, what am I supposed to do about that? It's hardly my problem."

With that she left the kitchen in an indignant stride.

…...

**3rd ****Person**

The Sun had only begun to rise when Rose lifted herself quietly out of bed. Careful not to wake up her dormant boyfriend, Dimitri, she shut the bedroom door behind herself. She had been pretending to be asleep for quite a while now, waiting for him to fall asleep. To her chagrin, he had taken a long time to retire to their bed after their little midnight chat and now the Sun was about to rise when his breathing finally slowed down into slumber. Rose pulled on her coat and made her way into Court.

" Here to pay me a visit, Rose ? I have to say I didn't expect it at this time of night." said Christian with a snide drawl. He was standing in his pajamas with his hand on the door and a smirk on his face.

Rose pushed into the house. " Move it, Sparky. I don't have time to deal with you right now. Where's your girlfriend ?"

And without waiting for an answer she made her way into the kitchen where Lissa stood overlooking the pot boiling on the stove.

" Oh hey, Rose. I was just stirring up so -" began Lissa but was not allowed to finish her thought.

" I need to talk to you now. It's important."

Lissa's face contorted into a frown. " OK let's go into the living room." She placed a hand on Rose's shoulder. " Christian, can you see to it that dinner doesn't burn ?" Lissa called over to her boyfriend.

" What's bothering you, Rose ? Everything alright with you and Dimitri ?" Lissa asked as she sat down on the sofa. Rose remained standing.

" Yes. Yes. That's alright. It's about Adrian, Lissa."

Confusion marred Lissa's face and Rose proceeded to explain herself. She told Lissa how worried she was especially because of the trend in Dimitri's visions.

" It's been months, Lissa, and he still doesn't have a hold on himself. Why does he spiral out of control like that with his cigars and everything ? The guy just can't keep a handle on himself. I'm afraid if I see him it's going to make things worse for him."

" I don't know wh-"

Now thoroughly frustrated with Adrian, Rose turned to Lissa suddenly and commanded, " You tell me, Lissa, what I am supposed to do about that. Should I go plead with him so that he leaves his vices ? Should I tell him what to stay away from ? Should I just adopt him and be his mother ? For God's sake, I just don't want him to booze himself to death, Lissa." Rose let out a plea by the end of the tirade. Her breathing had grown faster; frustration was etched all over her.

" Just be a friend." Lissa squeaked, bringing an expression of confusion on Rose's face. " Talk to him. He listens to you."

" No he won't. Not after how things ended, Lissa."

" He won't at first, we all know that. But that'll change. You know that very well. You don't have to be his mother to nudge him onto the right path. In fact, if you were his mother, he would never have listened to you."

Rose pondered over her options for a moment and began to walk over to the door. " You're right. I can at least try to save that liver of his. All I want is that he remain alright. Sorry I barged in, Lissa. I'll see you tomorrow."

She had turned the door knob when she heard Lissa say, " Just be sure that he knows that there won't be a Rose and Adrian anymore. Make sure he knows that from the get - go. Adrian can't seem to take rejection that well." Lissa chuckled.

" Yeah, he doesn't get rejected much, does he ? What with him being the Queen's favourite and all." Rose let out a laugh. " Thanks, Lissa. I'll see you."

Rose took one last glance at her friend before she departed. And from Lissa's face she knew that no matter how loudly Lissa laughed, she would blame Rose for breaking Adrian's heart in such a cruel, cold fashion. And Rose knew it was true; she knew she deserved it.

**So****, ****how ****did ****you ****guys ****like ****this ****chapter**** ? ****Let ****me ****know ****in ****your ****reviews****. ****I ****love ****hearing ****from ****you ****all****. **

** Once ****again****, ****I ****am ****terribly ****sorry ****for ****the ****hiatus ****in ****my ****writing****. ****However****, ****I ****hope ****the ****chapter ****will ****make ****you ****forgive ****me ****a ****bit****. **

** This ****story ****may ****have ****one ****or ****two ****more ****chapters ****left ****. ****If ****not****, ****I ****am ****thinking ****of ****ending ****this ****story ****here****. ****But****, ****I ****do ****have ****some ****ideas ****that ****I ****may ****or ****may ****not ****incorporate ****into ****this ****particular ****story****. ****I ****was ****also ****thinking ****of****, ****perhaps****, ****a ****sequel ****to ****Losing ****Rose****. ****Let ****me ****know ****what ****you ****think ****about ****that****. ****Do ****you ****think ****it ****would ****be ****a ****good ****idea**** ? ****I ****will ****post ****a ****chapter ****asking ****your ****opinions ****on ****my ****ideas ****for ****a ****plot ****starter ****in ****the ****near ****future****. ****I ****want ****to ****know ****what ****you ****guys ****think ****is ****a ****good ****idea****. :) **

**So****, ****that ****is ****it ****for ****now****. ****Please ****review****. ****Until ****next ****time**** …. ****Keep ****reading ****and ****enjoy**** :****D**** :****D**** …. **


	28. Chapter 26

**Hello everyone. Another chapter for you guys. Enjoy :D :D **

" Look Adrian I know you blame me for everything, and I get it. I did screw it up a lot and none of it was fair to you. But, you have to get a grip." Rose tried her utmost not to yell. Adrian had a way of getting on her nerves quickly.

" And you're here to tell me how, is that right, Little Dhampir ? Because _you_ know what's best for me. I can never take care of myself because I am just not a man of substance, right ?" said Adrian, with acid lacing his words. There was an inconspicuous drawl in his voice from the empty bottles that lay around his apartment.

" It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that you need to temper your drinking. I mean, look around this place. I'm tired of trying to reason with you. You need to stop before you die of alcohol poisoning."

" You're the one to talk, Rose. I bet my entire life that you've had more than one glass before coming here to lecture me. Haven't you ?"

Rose deflected his glare. She ran her fingers through her hair and began, " That was because I knew you would be difficult. And boy, was I right about that. Besides, that's not the poin-"

" Not the point ? You obviously don't believe in leading by example. Fine. Then, tell me …. What is your point ? Why are you here all of a sudden ? It's been weeks, hasn't it ? Weeks since you gave my ring back. Do you want it back now ? Couldn't Belikov afford one for you ? I always knew he was a bit of a cheapskate, but this is just ridiculous, if you ask me." Adrian rambled on, almost on a comical note.

Rose had had enough. There was something burdening her ever since the day she had left the car to go help Dimitri. It weighed on her like a rock, threatening to crush her. She felt guilty and didn't know what to do about it. Her stupid pride had prevented her from apologising the day she broke it off with Adrian. It had been a very stoic event with neither of them eager to say anything. It probably was because both of them had known what was coming and both had refused to acknowledge it . But she needed to get it off her chest once and for all. So, she heaved a breath in preparation.

" The _point_is, Adrian," Rose cut him off, " that I am sorry. You have no idea how awful I feel about how I treated you. I really do, even if you don't believe me."

This caught Adrian off guard. It was the last thing he had expected from the ever - so - obstinate Rose Hathaway. He looked at her and noticed the sadness playing on her face. But after all he had been through, he had become a skeptic.

Rose took Adrian's silence as a good sign and continued, " And I do want what is good for you. I may not always know what that is, but I know it this time. You need to handle your alcohol situation, Adrian."

Adrian couldn't focus on her words anymore. He was too perplexed by something else. There was something different about Rose, something foreign. It felt almost tangible to him. Despite the readiness of its presence, Adrian couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Rose kept on explaining herself, a little baffled by Adrian's uncharacteristic passivity. " I'm sure you're not listening to me, Adrian. But for what it's worth, I do care about you. It may not be in the way you wanted it, but I do care."

That was enough to bring Adrian back from his reverie. Did she think him stupid enough to fall for that again ? For all the lies he's been told by this very person.

" I just don't know when you're not lying to me, Rose. You may think I'm stupid but," right then an idea came to his mind and he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before, " I can actually verify it, you know. A person's aura can say a lot about her, Little Dhampir."

Rose was taken aback. " So this is an interrogation, now ? You're gonna cross - check everything I say to you ? This is just great." Rose scoffed. " Are you even sober enough to use Spirit ?"

" I'm sober enough." Adrian snapped, while harbouring the same doubt. But, he conjured every ounce of magic in him till he felt the familiar hot and cold feeling run through him. It would only be a matter of seconds before he would see suggestive colours around Rose's head. He only hoped that there would be the tiniest, even the lightest shade of red ...

" This is ridiculous, Adrian. You make me feel like a petty criminal." Rose said, " Stop looking at me like that."

Rose was uncomfortable by this point. She felt more vulnerable than she would ever admit to being. And Adrian's expression wasn't helping either. He seemed to be studying her, scrutinising her, judging her every emotion. Then all of a sudden, his gaze shifted below her head.

" There's something about you today. Like your aura is somehow denser. Almost as if …" he reached a hand out towards Rose as if trying to feel her aura. Rose stood stupefied, convinced that this meant that she was going to die soon. She didn't particularly subscribe to any kind of divination or things of that sort, but in her world stranger things had happened. Who knew ? Maybe auras could foretell death.

Moments later, Adrian's face bore the marks of having figured out whatever had been evading him till now. He moved closer with a scared smile. " You, Little Dhampir," he shook his head as he lowered his gaze to Rose's stomach, "should not have been drinking."

**So, what do you think ? Like it ? Hate it ? Tell me in your reviews. :D **

** What do you think will happen next in Rose's life ? **

** Until next time. Keep reading and enjoy. :D :D . . **


	29. Chapter 27

**Hello everyone. Hope you all have been alright. Thank you for you lovely reviews and messages. I really appreciate them. They make my day :D . Here is your next chapter and I hope you enjoy it. :D :D . . **

" That's not funny." snapped Rose, slapping Adrian's hand away.

" It's not supposed to be." said Adrian with utter seriousness. Rose examined his face for a moment and asked, " What are you trying to say ? That I am pregnant ?"

" Well your aura seems to be."

" So, my aura is pregnant. You mean with emotions and stuff like that ? "

" No, you're pregnant." Adrian paused to think and said, " Although your aura is too, figuratively. Like you said, with emotions and stuff. Especially anger. I can see a lot of anger right now."

" Guess who it is directed at."

" Well, if I had to take a stab in the dark …." Adrian finally focused his gaze on Rose's face which was seething with rage. He gulped and finished, " That would be me."

" Yes Adrian, it would."

Adrian had witnessed this fury before and wasn't looking forward to be caught in the cross - fires again. " Look Rose, I can ex-"

" No. I will tell you what to explain. Explain to me why I believe you right now. And when you're done doing that explain how Dimitri, being the dhampir that he is, can get me pregnant." she rambled her frustration. " Why am I even considering this ? I mean, how is this even remotely possible ?"

Adrian raised his finger to try and interject but was cut - off once again. " Unless …" Rose now looked at him, " What have you done to me, you stupid idiot ? I am too young to be a mother for God's sake. I can't be pregnant."

" Take a breath, Rose." Adrian began cautiously. " No use in you killing me. Let's think this one through. Just to make sure, you haven't been with any other Moroi, have you ?"

By now Rose had slumped into the sofa, her hands cradling her face. Her initial anger had now subsided into dread. She shook her head slowly and solemnly.

" Alright. Got that out of the way. Now we ne-"

" Why didn't Lissa see it ?" Rose whispered.

" Come again."

Rose lifted her face and held Adrian's gaze. " Why didn't Lissa notice anything and you did ? I can bet she is sober more often than you are, then why didn't she tell me anything ?"

This question hadn't struck Adrian and he considered why that could have happened. " I don't know, Rose. Using Spirit is not a science, we still know next to nothing about the element."

" But, there has to be a reason though."

" Maybe she just thought it was something else, you know. She might have just overlooked it or something. Maybe she wasn't looking for it. Or maybe she's not in tune with you like before." Adrian thought aloud.

Rose tensed up toward the end of the sentence and Adrian knew he had hit something. He broached the subject gently, " Things haven't been like before with you and Lissa, have they ?"

Rose sighed. " No. I can tell she hates me for …. well, you know for how I treated you and everything. You should talk to her. She loves you now."

" Are you setting me up with her, Little Dhampir ? She's great but I don't want to be set on fire by that belligerent boyfriend of hers." Adrian chuckled and so did she.

" Don't worry he loves you too." Rose snickered. " He's officially coming out."

" Good for him." Adrian smiled. As much as he tried to shut Rose out of his heart, it was moments like these that made it so difficult. No amount of liquor or anything else, could dowse the tenderness he felt towards her and the ease with which they could converse even in the most tense of situations. But, he couldn't let himself go again. Not this time. So, he drew in a deep breath and braced himself against the beautiful woman sitting next to him.

Adrian jumped off the sofa, clapped his hands and anounced. " Alright. Enough with the small talk. First things first. You need to get this confirmed. A simple pregnancy test should do."

" So, you're not certain ?" Rose asked incredulously. " I almost broke down here because of something you are not even sure of ?"

" As I said, it's not a science. Either way, it's just an old pregnancy test. No big deal."

" You're the worst Spirit user I have ever seen. I have very little faith in your magical abilities, just so you know." Rose scowled as she started towards the door.

" Aww. Leaving already ?" Adrian jokingly feigned disappointment.

" Yeah. I need to get the blood test done, remember ?"

" Blood test ? For the pregnancy ? Wow, you really have very little faith in my Spirit use."

" Told you." As Rose opened the door, she paused and took a deep breath. She looked back at Adrian and asked, " This really complicates things, doesn't it ?"

" Yes. Yes, very much so." said Adrian, turning his lips up into a consolatory smile.

**What do you think will happen next ? How will they handle this situation ? Let me know in your reviews. :) **

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